This study has been conducted to develope the combined heat treating technique of gas carburising - gas nitriding and gas carburising to improve the hot working performance of type H3 hot work tool steel. Case depth and carbrides coarsening were increased with increasing carburising temperature and time, respectively. Surface hardness showed decreasing tendency with increasing 2nd tempering temperature after carburising treatment. After carburising, 2nd treatment at 500 to 600 was chosen according to a hardness demand of final product. High temperature tempering resistance showed more excellent quality during such carburising-nitriding or carburising than complex treatment as after conventional hardening.