Vietnam · WATER PUPPET SHOWS

Water Puppet Shows in Hanoi: 15 Theatres and Seat Classes

16 tours  ·  from $5

An hour of eleventh-century village theatre performed in a pool, with a live band at the side. The 15 below compare theatres, seat classes and start times, and none of them will cost you more than lunch.

Hanoi: Water Puppet Show Tickets - The Hidden Mechanics Behind the Water
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Hanoi: Water Puppet Show Tickets

1.Water Puppet Show Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 7,029 reviews · 50 min · from $7Our pick

Reserve a 50-minute Hanoi Water Puppet Show and collect your physical ticket at 31 Lo Su, 30 minutes before the performance. You can choose a show time and seat category, then watch Vietnamese folk tales, village scenes, legends, live music, and skilled puppetry. An English audio guide and other languages cost 50,000 VND at the theater.

“Thoroughly enchanting It lasts about 45-50 mins The puppet show is funny and educational and the music is wonderful”

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Hanoi: Water Puppet Show Ticket with Hotel Delivery Add-On - Arriving at 31 Lo Su and collecting your ticket
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Hanoi: Water Puppet Show Ticket with Hotel Delivery Add-On

2.Water Puppet Show Ticket with Hotel Delivery Add-On

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,554 reviews · 50 min · from $7

You’ll watch a 50-minute water puppet performance at Hanoi’s Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, where Vietnamese legends, village life, music, and singing unfold on a water stage. Collect physical tickets at Charming Vietnam Travel 30 minutes early, or choose hotel delivery. The show is in Vietnamese, with an optional audio guide available at the theatre.

“Was a good experience to listen to traditional folk songs and watching the show”

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Hanoi: Thang Long Water Puppet Show Ticket - Skip The Line - Collecting the ticket at 78 Hang Quat
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Hanoi: Thang Long Water Puppet Show Ticket – Skip The Line

3.Thang Long Water Puppet Show Ticket – Skip The Line

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 836 reviews · 50 min · from $7

Collect your reserved Thang Long Water Puppet Show tickets at 78 Hang Quat, then walk to Hanoi’s famous theater for a 50-minute performance of Vietnamese legends, village life, music, and comic puppetry. The show is in Vietnamese, with optional audio guides for 50,000 VND. Staff members including Tony and Penelope have provided helpful ticket support.

“Overall good experience, just some annoying people filming with their phones often block the view. Maybe filming should not be allowed.”

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Skip the Line: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater Entrance Tickets - What makes the water stage special
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Skip the Line: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater Entrance Tickets

4.Skip the Line: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater Entrance Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 414 reviews · from $8

You’ll attend a one-hour performance at Hanoi’s Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, where carved puppets move across water to live music, singing, and traditional stories. Choose standard, deluxe, or VIP first-class seating. Prebooked tickets can save time when shows sell out, though theater entry may still feel crowded and confusing.

“It was ok. Cute but very loud. At least it was something to do while it continued to rain outside. Unfortunately, it didn't hold our attention”

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Skip the Line: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater Entrance Tickets - What makes the water stage special
Hanoi Tours, Skip the Line, Tickets, Tour Reviews, Water Puppet Shows, Water Puppet Shows in Hanoi

Skip the Line: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater Entrance Tickets

5.Skip the Line: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater Entrance Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 386 reviews · from $7

Spend about an hour at Hanoi’s Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, where puppets glide across water to Vietnamese music and storytelling. Choose a showtime and seating level, then redeem your voucher at 57B Đinh Tiên Hoàng. The performance is easy to enjoy without Vietnamese, though an optional audio guide can help explain the scenes.

“Although I had purchased VIP tickets, when I arrived at the theater, I was told that the VIP ticket section was already sold out. The performance was good, however, it would’ve been nice to get a brochure, in your spoken language, that describe the story of the performance.”

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Thang Long Water Puppet Show Entry Ticket - Inside the One-Hour Performance
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Thang Long Water Puppet Show Entry Ticket

6.Thang Long Water Puppet Show Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 329 reviews · 1 hour · from $8

Spend one hour at Hanoi’s Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre watching puppets farm, fish, flirt, and play across a water stage. The Vietnamese-language performance uses live musicians, singers, and puppeteers to bring legends and daily life to life. Choose a showtime, arrive 15 minutes early, and collect your ticket from staff at the theater.

“it was dynamic, powerful and singers have an incredible voice. I recommand :)”

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Skip the Line: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater Entrance Tickets - What makes the water stage special
Hanoi Tours, Skip the Line, Tickets, Tour Reviews, Water Puppet Shows, Water Puppet Shows in Hanoi

Skip the Line: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater Entrance Tickets

7.Skip the Line: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater Entrance Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 224 reviews · from $8

Book a one-hour water puppet performance at Hanoi’s Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. Arrive at least 15 minutes early, take your seat, and watch traditional Vietnamese legends and rural life brought to the water. The theater is at 57B Đinh Tiên Hoàng beside Hoàn Kiếm Lake, with several showtimes available.

“Link to the downtown. Economy and save time. It is very convenience and effective way to get into the downtown of the Bangkok.”

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Hanoi: Full-Day City Tour and Water Puppet Show - Tran Quoc Pagoda and West Lake
City Tours, City Tours in Hanoi, Full-Day, Hanoi Tours, Show, Tour Reviews, Tours, Water Puppet Shows, Water Puppet Shows in Hanoi

Hanoi: Full-Day City Tour and Water Puppet Show

8.Full-Day City Tour and Water Puppet Show

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 107 reviews · from $52

Spend a full day touring Hanoi with an English-speaking guide, visiting Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Ho Chi Minh complex, One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, and a museum. Lunch is included, followed by a 50-minute water puppet show near Sword Lake. Guides such as Tu, Tommy, Lee, and Son have earned praise for clear explanations and helpful service.

“Overall it’s a nice city tour. Our guide Lee was very knowledgeable and he constantly gave information about his country’s and city’s history. The lunch was tasty and the transportation was good.”

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Ho Chi Minh City: Golden Dragon Water Puppet Ticket - What happens during the 45-minute show
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Ho Chi Minh City: Golden Dragon Water Puppet Ticket

9.Golden Dragon Water Puppet Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 81 reviews · from $16

Spend 45 minutes at Ho Chi Minh City’s Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater, where colorful puppets move across a water pool to live Vietnamese music and singing. Your mobile voucher covers admission, but not transport. Arrive 15 minutes early for check-in and seating. The show is in Vietnamese, yet its comic action and simple stories remain easy to follow.

“Air conditioned room with assigned seats. Interesting show! Didn’t need to understand Vietnamese to follow what was happening. A delightful end to our trip to Vietnam”

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Skip the Line: Golden Dragon Water Puppet Tickets - What You See During the 45-Minute Performance
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Skip the Line: Golden Dragon Water Puppet Tickets

10.Skip the Line: Golden Dragon Water Puppet Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 75 reviews · from $22

Head to Golden Dragon Theater at 55B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai for a roughly 45-minute Vietnamese water puppet performance. Handmade wooden puppets act out rural legends on a water stage, controlled by hidden performers with bamboo rods and strings. Live traditional music carries the show, but there is no English narration.

“The pickup of the tickets was more or less seamless and the show is pretty engaging. The visuals, vocals, and puppet mastery are on full display for this hour long show. However, one drawback to this show is that there are no English transRead more”

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Ho Chi Minh City by Night including Water Puppet Show and Dinner on cruise - Why the Vietnamese-only show still works
Boat Tours in Ho Chi Minh City, Cruises & Boat Tours, Dining Experiences, Evening Experiences, Evening Tours in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City Tours, Show, Tour Reviews, Water Puppet Shows, Water Puppet Shows in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City by Night including Water Puppet Show and Dinner on cruise

11.Ho Chi Minh City by Night including Water Puppet Show and Dinner on cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · from $82Top rated

Spend an evening with two classic Ho Chi Minh City experiences: a Vietnamese water puppet show at the Golden Dragon Theater and a two-hour dinner cruise on the Saigon River. An English-speaking guide and private air-conditioned vehicle handle the evening, with hotel pickup at 5:45 pm and return around 10 pm. Julia and Ming are among the guides praised for helpful service.

“Fantastic tour guide. A very entertaining evening! Highly recommended.”

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Skip the Line: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater Entrance Tickets - What makes the water stage special
Hanoi Tours, Skip the Line, Tickets, Tour Reviews, Water Puppet Shows, Water Puppet Shows in Hanoi

Skip the Line: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater Entrance Tickets

12.Skip the Line: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater Entrance Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 53 reviews · from $7

Head to Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi’s Old Quarter for a 50-minute performance of water puppetry, storytelling, and live music. Choose standard, deluxe, or VIP first class seating. The theater is near public transportation, and the experience begins and ends at 57B Đinh Tiên Hoàng.

“We purchased 2 VIP tickets, which were “confirmed”. Showed up almost an hour before the show started and they said they were sold out and that the tickets we paid for were not actually available.”

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Hanoi: Half-Day City Tour with Thang Long Water Puppet Show - Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake
City Tours, City Tours in Hanoi, Half-Day, Hanoi Tours, Show, Tour Reviews, Tours, Water Puppet Shows, Water Puppet Shows in Hanoi

Hanoi: Half-Day City Tour with Thang Long Water Puppet Show

13.Half-Day City Tour with Thang Long Water Puppet Show

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 48 reviews · from $7

Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and the Temple of Literature with an English-speaking guide, then finish at Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. The $7 option includes transport, entrance fees, and a 50-minute show. You can also book the show ticket alone, with several times available.

“It is expensive, the ticket price is 100.000 vnd and it is easy to buy tickets at the entrance. Here you pay double. The show itself is really beautiful and amazing, highly recommend doing it when visiting Hanoi.”

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Hanoi: Water Puppet Show Entry Ticket - Arriving at the Lotus Water Puppet Theater
Hanoi Tours, Show, Tickets, Tour Reviews, Water Puppet Shows, Water Puppet Shows in Hanoi

Hanoi: Water Puppet Show Entry Ticket

14.Water Puppet Show Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 38 reviews · 50 min · from $5Best value

At Hanoi’s Lotus Water Puppet Theater, you’ll watch a 50-minute Vietnamese folk show built around rural life, legends, music, dragons, and comic character Teu. Your reserved ticket helps you skip the ticket queue, and a multilingual program explains the acts. Pick from several showtimes, but arrive 10 minutes early to collect your ticket.

“The show was beautiful and the performer very talented. However, we paid more for better seats and were placed in the second to the last row. So that was very frustrating.”

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Saigon Evening: Water Puppet Show & Dinner Cruise Experience - Golden Dragon Theater: wooden figures on a watery stage
Boat Tours in Ho Chi Minh City, Cruises & Boat Tours, Dining Experiences, Evening Experiences, Evening Tours in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City Tours, Show, Tour Reviews, Water Puppet Shows, Water Puppet Shows in Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon Evening: Water Puppet Show & Dinner Cruise Experience

15.Saigon Evening: Water Puppet Show & Dinner Cruise Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 38 reviews · from $72

Start at 6:00 pm with District 1 hotel pickup, then watch a 45-minute Golden Dragon water puppet show before dinner aboard a classic junk boat. Tom and driver Jerry have handled transfers for some departures. Choose Vietnamese or Western food, but allow for a quick cruise and limited time for views while dining.

“The water puppet show was very entertaining Even though the commentary wasn’t in English we grasped the meaning It was very well presented The river cruise not so great A very quick dash about 45 minutes sailing total there and back Read more”

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Vietnam by the day out

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