This invention provides a continuous hot rolling process for making thin strip in which it is possible to roll strips at high rolling speeds required to keep a finisher delivery temperature equal to or higher than an Ar.sub.3 transformation temperature. The gist of the present invention resides in a continuous hot rolling process in which the rolling speed of a final finishing mill is kept constant or slightly increased until the leading end of rolled strip travels from the final finishing mill to a down coiler which process comprises: rolling a predetermined length of the leading end portion of a stock being rolled in accordance with a strip thickness greater than a finished thickness; then reducing the strip thickness to the finished thickness by gauge alteration in rolling; and subsequently rolling the following portion.