A hydraulic control circuit for a hydraulically operated vehicular transmission has at least five forward transmission trains. The hydraulic control circuit is made up of three sets of first through third solenoid valves and three sets of first through third shift valves to be controlled for changeover by the three sets of solenoid valves such that each of the transmission trains is established by changeover combinations of each of the shift valves. The first shift valve controls a condition of communication between an oil supply passage which is in communication with a hydraulic oil pressure source and a first oil passage and a second oil passage which are both on a downstream side of the oil supply passage. The second shift valve controls a condition of communication between the first oil passage and a third oil passage which is on a downstream side of the first oil passage and also controls a condition of communication between the second oil passage and a fourth oil passage and a fifth oil passage which are both on a downstream side of the second oil passage. The third shift valve controls a condition of communication between the fifth oil passage and a sixth oil passage and a seventh oil passage which are both on a downstream side of the fifth oil passage.