Hanoi · SHOW
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 8 shows worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
Collect your ticket at 31 Lo Su, then watch a 50-minute Vietnamese water puppet show with live traditional music, village scenes, legends, and colorful puppets. Choose a show time and seat category in advance. An English audio guide and other languages can be bought at the theater for 50,000 VND.
“A lovely show, with beautiful music and a great atmosphere.”
Spend 50 minutes at Hanoi’s Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, watching Vietnamese legends, village life, music, and singing performed over water. Your ticket includes a show program and skip-the-line access. Collect the physical ticket near the theater or choose hotel delivery, and add a multilingual audio guide for 50,000 VND.
“Loved it. One of the best shows I’ve seen. It would be good to make more obvious the info about audio in your own language. This would have made it a 10/10!”
Collect your reserved ticket at 78 Hang Quat, then walk to Hanoi’s famous Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre for a 50-minute show of water puppets, folk tales, live music, and traditional Vietnamese artistry. The performance is in Vietnamese, with optional audio guides for 50,000 VND.
“Interesting and unique show, the puppeteering and music was really well done!”
At Hanoi’s Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, you’ll watch a one-hour Vietnamese-language performance of puppets, music, singing, and traditional scenes on water. Choose a showtime, arrive 15 minutes early at 57B Dinh Tien Hoang, and collect your physical ticket from staff at the counter.
“Great cultural experience. Would suggest the ticketing system to improve. Had to wait a bit to get a physical ticket rather than a digital scan which caused us to be late for the concert.”
You’ll watch a 50-minute Thang Long Water Puppet performance featuring colorful puppets, Vietnamese folk music, singing, legends, village life, and historic tales. Tickets cost $9 per person, with delivery to Hanoi Old Quarter hotels or exchange at 31 Lo Su Street. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early.
“I paid. The ticket was waiting for me when I arrived at my hotel. Went to the theatre. Skipped the queue. Went straight upstairs. Was directed to take my seat in the front row. Couldn’t have been easier.”
See Hanoi’s key sights in one guided day, from Tran Quoc Pagoda and Ho Chi Minh’s complex to the Temple of Literature. Lunch is included, and the day ends with a 50-minute water puppet show. Guides such as Tu, Tommy, Lee, and Son are praised for clear explanations and helpful service.
“Tommy was a great guide, and we saw so much in such a short time that we would not have been able to do without him. Having a private car and driver to achieve this was very useful. Highly recommend.”
See traditional Vietnamese water puppetry on a flooded stage at a theater near Hoan Kiem Lake. The 55-minute performance combines village life, legends, myths, and historic scenes. Mobile tickets, central location, and selected show times make it easy to fit into a Hanoi day.
“Definitely a very good cultural experience in Hanoi. Fun for children and adults. Not too long a show with some funny bits. Highly recommend if you are in Hanoi and looking for something different to do in the evenings!”
Take one non-stop, two-hour loop past Hanoi’s major sights with multilingual audio, free Wi-Fi, water, and rain gear. Then attend a Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre performance at 16:10, 17:20, or 18:30. The bus and show can be used at separate times.
“I was very well attended by the tour receptionists who dropped me off inside the theater. They were excellent, and when I got back they quickly put me on the city tour bus. I highly recommend it.”
Pick a bay, a bowl or a bike.
