Skip The Line: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater Entrance Tickets

There are 2 puppet show options and this one is not suited to English speaking audiences. The ticket collection part was good but the show has virtually no English and it is too dark to read your brief program.

It’s a show worth seeing! Although the story is told in Vietnamese language, the puppet movements coupled with the music are enough to tell the story. Absolutely a most enjoyable show!

Really enjoyed it! Lovely old theater.

We sat in B17, B18 and B19 (VIP tickets) which is the 2nd row from the stage, with an aisle seat and right under a large fan. Our son is very tall so he had the aisle seat and was not blocking anyone's view. The room has AC but the additional fan was appreciated. The show is much better than we had hoped. It was charming and the live music was beautiful. And the length was just perfect - less than 1 hr. Get the audio translation. I think it was only $2 and explained the folk stories. When you go up the stairs, the translation rentals are to your left in the corner. You do not wait in the ticket line to get into the show. I was in line and my husband noticed a young man by the stairs handing out tickets. That was our guy. We showed him the Viator barcode and he searched his list, found our tickets and we went upstairs to the show.

No advantage with skip the line

The Water Puppet Show was one of the most unique cultural experiences of our trip. It immediately immersed us in the atmosphere of Vietnam through its traditional music, live musicians, and beautifully crafted puppets performing on the water. The performance depicted scenes from everyday Vietnamese life, alongside dragons, mythical creatures, and what were probably traditional legends and folk stories. Although we could not understand every detail of the stories, the visual presentation was so engaging that it hardly mattered. The combination of the live instruments, the skill of the puppeteers, and the magical setting on the water created a truly special experience. It was charming, entertaining, and gave us a wonderful glimpse into Vietnamese culture. We enjoyed it very much and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Vietnam.

Don't ever book for any show from TripAdvisor as there are.many.more better and honest websites like Klook, trip.com, Agoda, etc who are very fair and reasonable in their charges. I booked for a Water puppet show with TripAdvisor online and the rate shown was USD 9 each but I was charged USD 13 each. The reason it put says "skip the long queue" as we can collect the ticket from one of their representative waiting near the ticket window. I noticed that most of the websites representing Klook or others were also there and their customers had paid only USD 7-8 each ticket, and whereas I was charged USD 39 for the 3 tickets. The actual ticket cost is little then USD 6 or VND 150,000. I feel cheated by TripAdvisor and would never ever use their services.

Organising the show through trip advisor / Viator was easy. They sent me the tickets via email and i asked the hotel to print them out for me. Once i was outside the venue there was a representative waiting to scan the bar code and issue me three tickets.... at no point was i ever asked where i wanted to sit . I bought the most expensive tickets at 8$ each in the hopes i was at the front. I was in row D - which was the 3rd row back from the front.It is tiered seating but i still had to move around to see some of what was happening in the water. I am 5 foot 7 - so not short. They did have bumper cushions for children like you get in the movie theater. The water puppet show was good. Very entertaining in some parts. The puppets themselves looked amazing and i am sure there was an enormous amount of work that went into the production- lights, live musicians and singers. Most of the time i had very little idea about what was going on because the show was solely in Vietnamese with only the intro in English and french. They do offer a service for another fee where you can buy some kind of headphones for it to be translated into your language. In hindsight i should have got those but didn't feel like queuing again. Was it worth going ... yes. Would i go again - probably not.

You do not skip any line. Go directly to the ticket office and get yourself a ticket there instead of buying one online. It is 100,000 dong which is $5 aud.

A Unique Cultural Experience – Highly Recommended We attended the VIP First Class show at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, and it was a fantastic experience. The performance was colourful, engaging, and unlike anything else we’ve seen. The live music added to the atmosphere and made it feel very authentic. I highly recommend getting the audio guide—it provides helpful context for each scene and makes the stories much more meaningful. Learning about the four mythical animals and their role in Vietnamese culture was especially interesting. Overall, a smooth and enjoyable experience, and a great way to experience Vietnam’s traditions.

Dear Sir / Madam, I made a booking for this event (Mon, Apr 6, 2026 / 3 Adults / Confirmation #: 1764535701 / Booking Reference #: 1381871515) I bought 3 VIP tickets for 3 adults, but when we got the entrance they told us that we cannot buy any VIP ticket via Viator and they offered to downgrade our tickets. I had an arguement there with the officer which I dont want to. I had a vacation for relaxation and bought these tickets for having a good time, but I had a very stressed time and arguement with the people which I do not know. I am totally disappointed with your service. Thank you, Seckin.

I booked the vip first class and paid the first class price. When I arrived, I was told that the website had some issues, so my first class seats were cancelled. Instead, I was given the ordinary seats. I was told I would get refunded in 2 days . Hope I will get refunded as promised.

We really enjoyed this experience, very different to anything we've ever seen and would definitely recommend it for those interested in a bit of local culture. Even if you don't understand the words, the skill of the puppeteers, musicians and singers can still be appreciated!

It is kind of a strange show What they are doing is interesting but there is really no coherence to it

They should be more transparent that despite you chosing your ticket location (eg like in the front) at time of purchase, it really isn’t guaranteed and so we chose to sit in the front of the show but upon arrival they said it was “sold out” so we were given seats that were middle back. Not much you can do at that point when you arrive at the show. They should be transparent at time of booking that seating is really not guaranteed. I would have probably went with a different company.

I purchased 4 VIP tickets for the puppet show (first five rows) when i arrived at the theatre i was told that my tickets were exchanged for cheaper deluxe tickets (not as good seats) I was not told why my seats were changed.

The show was ok to watch and different to other things I have seen. However some one was stood up the whole time in front of us and the ushers did nothing about it. What was more annoying is that we paid for the VIP experience and when we got to the theater it had already been sold out meaning viator should us premium price tickets which they new were not going to be available. The partical refund then offered was not adequate for the seats we ended up being moved in to. I would not use this company to book this experience.

The actual show was really good - live singing and instruments. But the seats where very small and my knees where squished against the seat in front of me. We $16 AUD for skip the line tickets - there wasn’t really a line so we didn’t have to worry about that. the seats were near the front so that was good but i feel like anywhere you sat would be good because the seats were tall

We arrived 20 minutes before the performance and had not received our tickets by email as directed when we purchased through Tripadvisor. It was chaos with more than us who could not gain access despite having Viator bar codes. The guy apparently helping was useless. Having booked premium tickets we were not seated in this area and eventually got in 5 minutes after the performance started. It was not worth the wait or hassle to gain access having bought tickets.

Very talented musicians and puppet masters who work together seamlessly to tell stories. The translation services are an extra cost. We didn’t need it because the music and puppeteering tell the story. My 10 and 13 year old enjoyed it—just long enough. We did the VIP tour which means our seats were up front. 5 minutes before the show, we showed out tickets to get in and there was someone with them who had our real tickets. Easy!

A fun experience, with such amazing action, characters, music, singing and storytelling - even though I had no idea what was going on!

It was a great show. Viator representative was there waiting for us with the tickets. There were hundreds of people waiting to enter the theatre or desperately trying to buy tickets. He told us exactly where to wait to enter the theatre. It was stress free.

Eventually got the tickets but it was a madhouse and if our tour guide had not been with us I don’t think we would have found them. Go to the theatre yourself and buy tickets there.

A beautiful display of an old, traditional art form. The venue is wonderful and airy, and seats are wide and on a good rise to allow good viewing (unless the person in front keeps using their iPhone throughout the show!) The band is at side of the water stage, playing traditional instruments. The songs and melodies are enchanting. We rented the language guides to give a brief explanation of each of the acts, which helped. The show passed through quicker than you would imagine, with 16 linked acts. A pleasant way to appreciate a local tradition.

I had a fantastic experience at the Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi! I bought my ticket just a few minutes before showtime, walked right in, sat down, and enjoyed the performance — it was that simple and stress-free. The show itself was charming, colorful, and full of life. I had previously seen the same show in Ho Chi Minh City, but this one was definitely bigger and better, set in a larger and more modern theater. Overall, it was an excellent value for the price and a unique cultural experience I’d highly recommend to any traveler visiting Hanoi!

Excellent seats and very good show. Amazing Vietnamese instruments, beautiful music and singers. Unfortunately there was no translation to English so we couldn’t much of the show, yet worth it of going. Just short of an hour.

The water puppet show was great. Good for all ages. Really fascinating. However, not sure this is the best way to get tickets. I could not figure out how to get tickets on the website so I used the TripAdvisor service. It was very unclear how to get the actual tickets at the venue. I had to ask three people. There was a guy to get them from but he didn't have a sign or anything and there was no indication of where to look for him provided. We bought the VIP tickets and we got the last row of the VIP section. I'm not sure if we would have gotten better tickets waiting in line.

I don’t speak Vietnamese, so I was a bit worried about picking up the tickets. But Asia Travel Legend made everything simple. I just showed them my booking confirmation on my phone, and within seconds, the staff handed me the tickets with a big smile. It felt like VIP treatment for a regular tourist!

I was traveling with my parents and wanted to avoid any confusion. Booking through Asia Travel Legend was the right call. The staff found us and handed us the tickets right away. My parents were impressed by how smooth it was.

Honestly, I hate queueing, so when I saw I could book water puppet tickets in advance, I jumped at it. Asia Travel Legend made everything simple and smooth. The staff met us outside and gave the tickets dierctly no hassle at all.

I wasn’t sure whether to trust online bookings in Vietnam, but Asia Travel Legend proved me wrong. Booked the water puppet tickets last minute, and when I got there boom! A staff member was already waiting with my tickets. Super convenient and very warm service.

Nice event to attend to get a feel of Vietnamese culture. The theatre was pretty full. I enjoyed the roughly 60 min show. Worth the low price they charge. Situated in Old Quarter and so good place to have dinner post show.

DO NOT BOOK, they cancelled last minute and didn’t refund. I was sent a message the day before the event saying it was not going ahead so would I like to rebook another day or a refund, to which I replied requesting a refund as we can’t rebook another day, as we were leaving the area the following day. The company never responded. I allowed extra days incase reimbursement took time but they have pocketed the money. Also the “Tell us How we can help” box isn’t working to type in, when trying to request TripAdvisor assistance regarding a refund.

My girlfriend and I really like this show. As a Vietnamese back home after a period of away from home. I want to be this culture into the world. And the service of buying tickets online is very fast and convenient.

Booking online tickets is a bit higher than buying directly. But when I came, I didn't have to queue. Take tickets and go. The staff even went to find me. Very good service

The second time to Hanoi. And go see puppet. I put onl, when I came to just get tickets and go up. Very fast and convenient, CX chairs are very beautiful. The puppet actor is very clever. I love Hanoi, Vietnam

Procedure for picking up tickets were confusing and annoying. Seat assigned behind family with kids who blocked the whole view.

No need to buy from here as you can buy directly at the place , check the original puppet show website as the prices are lower.

Everyone should go to the Water Puppet Theatre! What an amazing performance, in a great building. The view was good from any seat in the auditorium, and the puppeteers were so talented. Buying our 'Skip the Line tickets, meant we didnt have to queue to get in, saving time and standing around in the heat.

The show was very cultural and entertaining, this review is nothing to do with the actual puppetry and performance. I am rating this experience 1 star because I was very disappointed that we paid for VIP tickets to be seated in the first 5 rows. But, when we got there, they seated us in row K which is the ELEVENTH row. I knew we were definitely over paying for the tickets (it’s about $8 USD at the door) but I just wanted to pre book and not worry about getting a good seat. Was incredibly disappointed that we didn’t have that great view we paid for :( Don’t purchase the VIP ticket with this company unless you want to be disappointed

For kids this would be great. As an adult, I recommend getting the audio guide as everything is in Vietnamese so had no idea what they were saying, the puppets were very colorful but I’m glad it was less than an hour long. I am also glad I skipped the line, give. The queues to buy tickets though I would recommend the “premium” tickets for seats closer to the front.

Note: this is not a review of the show as it was fantastic but this is a review of this service provided. We had limited time in Hanoi so I opted to buy the tickets through this service. Note that these tickets at the ticket office in Hanoi are about $12 Canadian dollars each. I don’t mind paying extra for certain service but when I am paying over double the ticket price I would expect a decent seat. Our seats were absolute garbage! We had an obstructed view of the performers as we were way off to the side and a number of rows back. This is unacceptable for the price we paid. Do not use this service and instead just go to the ticket office the day before or even the morning day of and pick better seats for half the price. I would NOT recommend buying tickets through here. I felt ripped off and scammed.

Great show, not too long and fast-paced. A great way to experience the oldest, traditional art form in Hanoi.

It was arranged very smoothly. We were given upgraded tickets because the ones we bought were sold out. The representative was waiting for us right in front of the office the stairs/entrance. We enjoyed the show a lot. It’s definitely worth it. Highly recommended.

Fabulous puppet show! The music and puppetry was excellent, in a lovely theatre! The tickets were easy to order, pay for and collect at the theatre!

The experience was enjoyable. The water puppet show in Hanoi is a must-see for kids and offers great value.

Sounds quirky but very good musicians and traditional production worth the visit, I loved the performers bow at the end - so proud to perform 😁🙏

we booked on line with Tripadvisor a superior first class ticket for better view and skip the line. However when we reached there the person at the entrance said that there was a technical error on their side and we have been down graded to a inferior class ticket. He promised that a refund would be sent to us. The view was not good and the experience was not good.

The shows we’re all sold out at the ticket booth, but the service was quick and easy to use to make sure we got to see a show before we left Hanoi!