Disclosed herein is a discharge tube for a high pressure metal vapor discharge lamp, which discharge tube comprises a translucent alumina tubular body, a lower end plate bonded to one end portion of the alumina tubular body which has an electrode support member inside thereof and is bonded to the alumina tubular body when the alumina tubular body is subjected to the light transmission treatment through firing, another end plate which has an electrode support member inside thereof and is bonded to the other end of the translucent alumina tubular body by means of a frit. This discharge tube is produced by inserting an end plate in which an electrode support member is partially embedded on the inner side thereof into one end portion of a tubular body made of high purity alumina, firing the green or calcined tubular body with the end plate, so that the tubular body is made translucent and simultaneously the end plate is bonded to the tubular body, and attaching another end plate to the other end of the alumina tubular body with the frit.