Thang Long Water Puppet Theater

Very entertaining with live music and vocals to accompany the water puppet show!😀 Surprisingly fun and interesting!

The puppet show itself was a good experience, but do not book through this agent! We booked VIP tickets a month in advance and should have been sitting in the first 5 rows for the best view. When we arrived at the theatre we were told the show was sold out, so they had downgraded us to deluxe tickets. This meant we ended up on row M (the last of the deluxe rows) and closer to the back than the front. No apology was given, or a chance to swap to an alternative show. We contacted them afterwards and received no reply, but have since been refunded £2 each. My advice would be to book at the theatre, so you know exactly where you’ll be sitting.

Authentic tales, ludicrously entertaining, with an amazingly talented cast of puppeteers and live musicians. A unique experience and we enjoyed it very much. On the downside the toilets were a bit manky and in the auditorium water dripped on us from the ceiling air conditioning system which was a bit odd if not entirely inapt for a water puppet show.

Don’t waste your time, unless you enjoy confussion and agitation. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE!!! I would rather have a root canal without anesthesia. I’ve spent over 5 months in Hanoi. Definitely my worst experience.

The water puppet show offered a unique and authentic cultural glimpse into Vietnam. Even though the performance is primarily geared toward children, we enjoyed it immensely—it was a truly memorable experience.

I bought tickets for the 6:30 show which was sold out. Tung an assistant at viator kindly messaged me immediately and gave me front row seats for the 21:15 show instead. Thank you Tung for your prompt and professional customer service ✨

Traditional water puppet show in a purpose- built theatre on the edge of the lake in Hanoi. I booked the tickets Viator for a performance 45 mins later. The tickets were already waiting for me in an envelope. Very impressive. The seats are small but the show is 45 mins and showcases a 1,000 year old cultural Vietnamese experience. We visited on our first night in Hanoi and it was a great way to sample the culture and history of this beautiful country.

A must-see in Hanoi! Our flight changed due to the weather, and the staff immediately helped us reschedule. Even on a busy weekend, we got great seats with a good view. The music was incredible and the puppets were so vivid and full of life. Excellent service and a wonderful performance—we really enjoyed it!

It was very entertaining and funny,not what we thought it was going to be.Totally recommend to go and see it

We didn’t know what to expect, and it was fascinating, fun and so different from other events. The music, the set, the puppets and the puppeteers were all great.

The show was amazing and showcased the Vietnamese culture very well.The seats were comfortable and the ticket prices were value for money.Foreigners should buy the audio headset to make sure they understand the show.

A cultural experience. Worth getting the VIP ticket. Music and singers were phenomenal. Interesting story.

The music and puppetry were really good and nice to see traditional art form. We knew we wouldn’t follow the story of the show however it was rather bizarre!

Nice and colorful musical performance. We were comfortably seated and could watch perfectly the show. However, because we don't understand Vietnamese, we were just trying to guess what the story was about. We would have enjoyed it more if we had been able to download a presentation of the story in English.

A bit long - take a translated - great action

unique performance in good price. it could have been better with english subtitle since it has some story in it.

Beautiful show with ancient Vietnamese art form. This is not one to miss in Hanoi, we loved it. Short and sweet show, amazing value for money at £5 each and we had a great view!

The purchase of the tickets was straightforward through Tripadvisor. However, on arrival, things felt rather chaotic. Organisation appeared to be in short supply and the crowd gathering outside created some concern, particularly for Megan, as there was a real risk of people being crushed in the rush to enter. Thankfully, we made it inside safely in the end. Once seated, we quickly discovered that the theatre makes very efficient use of its available space. The seats are quite cramped, so if you’re particularly tall or broad-shouldered, you may find yourself getting to know your neighbours better than expected. As English visitors, some of the folktales were difficult to follow in detail, and we found the audio guide a little sparse at times. However, this did not detract significantly from the overall experience. The skill and artistry involved in the water puppetry are genuinely impressive, and it is easy to appreciate the tradition even when some of the finer story details are lost in translation. The live music and singing added greatly to the atmosphere and authenticity of the performance. The musicians were excellent, and the cast appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, which helped make the show even more engaging. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the performance and would recommend spending an evening experiencing this unique aspect of Vietnamese culture. Audio guides are available in other languages for 50,000 VND per person. Tickets cost us 858,156VND (£24.42), when we collected the tickets from Viator we noticed the price listed was 200,000VND each so for both it was 400,000VND (£11.20) We checked this against the sales desk and can confirm it is cheaper to buy from the theatre than online.

Ima bit of a mix up at first They couldn’t find our booking but all worked out . Puppereers very talented a cultural experience . Worth it if you have enough time or you want to get out of the heat

Great cultural experience in Hanoi. Would recommend getting English audio for those who want a more thorough understanding of the dialogue

I’ve never seen anything like it. Never known anything like it. My friend and I booked this after a recommendation from a colleague. We didn’t know what to expect at all, and it completely blew our minds. It was touching, funny, cheeky and had amazing visual storytelling. We absolutely loved it. It was all in Vietnamese, but the visual storytelling was easy to understand what was happening. It was so unbelievably unique and enjoyable. I’d recommend to anyone that will be visiting Hanoi.

It was a unique and insightful show performed with great skill. Provides an insight into traditional Vietnamese Culture. Would have been better appreciated had there been a simultaneous English commentary.

Very nice and relaxing experience to learn more about Vietnamese traditions, culture and myths. Highly recommended!

A scam. I booked 4 tickets of skip the line/ first class seats and paid 64 USD. But when we arrived at the entrance, we were told a story that sounded like a scam, which said that the first class seats were unavailable due to the computer issue when we booked. We were given the random seats instead and were told that they would refund us in 2 days. They didn’t eventually. I wrote 2 letters to the ticket office and to the agent, but never ever got any response. That’s why I claimed that it was a scam!

Very nice show, a nice blend of stories, show and music

This was one of the activities we wanted to see in Hanoi, and it was a great way to get out of the sun and see something totally new. The only reason I would recommend getting "better" seats is so you can be closer to the stage, and thus have fewer tourists holding their phones in front of your face for the entire show. We were glad we bought our tickets in advance, as it appeared like a number of shows had sold out. The pricing onlineseemed pretty accurate too compared to buying in person. (Heads up, if you buy your tickets in advance through TripAdvisor, DON'T stand in the long confusing ticket line -- head towards the entrance to the theater and there should be a staff member with your name and paper tickets. You can't get in with just the digital tickets.)

Nice to get an idea of the culture of Vietnam very cool arrangements with the water puppets. It’s worth to buy a translation so you will get the story.

We purchased our tickets online via GetYourGuide, which was a smooth process overall. However, it’s worth noting that ticket collection is not at the theatre itself—you’ll need to pick them up from a location approximately a 5–10 minute walk away, so allow a little extra time for this. Our show was scheduled for 9:15pm, and we recommend arriving at least 15 minutes early to secure your seat. While we had pre-booked front-row tickets (Rows A–E), seat selection is not assigned in advance. This can be slightly frustrating, as you might expect reserved seating when booking ahead. If you’re not seated within the first two rows, be prepared for potential obstructions. Audience members moving around or using phones and cameras can impact your view. For reference, we were seated in Row D (Seats 7 and 8), and we’ve included a photo to give a realistic perspective of the view. We highly recommend renting the audio guide (50,000 VND per person), especially for English speakers, as the performance is conducted in Vietnamese. It adds valuable cultural context and enhances the overall experience. That said, the audio volume can be quite low compared to the live music and sound effects, which occasionally makes it difficult to follow. The show itself is of a very high standard—engaging, unique, and deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture. At around 45 minutes long, it’s the perfect length, and the seating is reasonably comfortable throughout. Overall, this is a highly enjoyable and worthwhile experience, and we’d absolutely recommend adding it to your itinerary when visiting Hanoi

Great but stupid Americans kept filming

If you’re in Hanoi, the Water Puppet Show is an absolute must-see. It’s fascinating from start to finish—the skill of the puppeteers is incredible, especially considering everything is performed behind the scenes in water. The whole production is very well presented and thoughtfully put together, with music and storytelling that really bring it to life. Set in a beautiful old theatre, you can almost feel the history around you as you watch. The show runs for about 45 minutes and is performed in Vietnamese, but audio guides are available if you want more context. Best of all, it’s very cheap entertainment for such a unique cultural experience. Highly recommend!

What a fantastic experience. Booking through trip advisor was so easy and we were able to collect our paper tickets at the booking office. We chose the vip seats, which gave us a really good view. The audio guide finished off the experience nicely.

I understand it’s Vietnamese culture on display, but even if I’d watched this in 1965, I’d still have found it boring. My wife enjoyed it, but I don’t understand why it’s so highly rated and recommended. On the plus side, we had VIP tickets and front row seats, and the air‑conditioned theatre was comfortable, but the actual puppet show and music just weren’t great.

The water puppet show was truly enjoyable! So unique and a culturally rich performance! It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before and a must‑see for visitors. I do think tourists would benefit from an audio guide so they don’t miss the storyline. Although, the headset volume was quite low and I had to press it against my ear to catch the translation. At the same time, I didn’t want to miss the beautiful live sounds of the performance itself. Overall, a fascinating and memorable experience! ❤️❤️❤️

We booked tickets via Get Your Guide, and Charming Vietnam Travel (who were great at getting our tickets moved whwn our flight was cancelled and our journey rearranged). The show was delightful and entertaining and we used the audio guide to help us better understand the historical story being told. With live music and singing it really is one to see.

It’s good. At times quite silly and I did catch myself laughing but just as often I was intrigued and wondering how they were actually managing the movements. The music alone is worth it. Air conditioning is very effective so make sure to wear an appropriate extra layer. Try to be flexible and book a show with seats available at the front as it’s tricky seeing past too many heads.

This was an interesting show. It was amazing to see the skill. I'm sure it's much harder than they make it look. Small theatre. A nice truly Vietnamese experience. Show runs about an hour. Suggest to stop and buy tickets a couple days before and pick front row seats. No need to get an audio guide.

Loved the show! Everyone in our group loved it. I didn’t know much about it, only that people were recommending to see it. It was well worth it.

I tried to buy tickets from the ticket office and was dealing with a lady with purple hair. Three times I asked for tickets for my chosen date which were showing as available but on each occasion she entirely ignored me. There was a long line behind me and after 5 minutes of this I gave up and left. She has been the rudest person that I have met during my 5 weeks in Vietnam.

The water puppet theatre offers a unique experience where you can witness the talent of the puppeteers. The musical and visual show is well worth experiencing. However, I don’t recommend renting the audio guide because, at 50,000 dong per person, it’s really not worth it. It’s difficult to hear, and you don’t learn much.

Worth experiencing this unique water puppet theatre helps you embrace the culture. The show itself is not very long but the Vietnamese performers are excellent , good value.

The Thang Long Water Puppet Show was a unique and colorful cultural experience, with live traditional music and beautifully crafted puppets performing over water. The stories were easy to follow and gave a glimpse into Vietnamese folklore and village life. If you are tall, make sure to pick seats in the front rows or on the sides — the legroom in the middle rows is quite tight and you may feel cramped during the performance.

well organised entry and audio available. show was fantastic, funny in parts and you could understand what was happening without the audio. thoroughly enjoyed it. attendants very efficient in placing seating ready for show.

Absolutely worth going to see. I’m a professional musician, so honestly didn’t know what to expect and whether I would enjoy - but was naive as it was a wonderful experience. 9 live musicians who were all very talented, and provided a beautiful accompaniment to the highly skilled puppet work. It felt very artistically focused, and the storytelling was strong and easy to follow even without understanding the Vietnamese lyrics or narration. Perfect length, about an hour, which kept us entertained and engaged. The theatre and ticketing was well organised - we emailed a few weeks in advance to book seats and these ready for us when we arrived. Would recommend booking in some capacity - directly worked very well, but you can do Get Your Guide etc if you prefer that. Tickets were sold out for our showing when we arrived, so don’t be disappointed!

A great show. I have no idea what they were saying but it was fun to watch. Great for adults and kuds.

Wonderful unique experience specific to the area. Excellent musicians and puppet artists- truly unique and one of a kind

Esau to get tickets on the door. Great view, the show was funny and, with the English audio guide which you buy there, informative and entertaining.

Had a wonderful experience with our four year old daughter. Even the show is in Vietnamese I was great fun and full of humor

Excellent experience and important to see this entertainment tradition that explains the themes of Vietnam’s culture. Please support the musician and puppeteer artists that maintain the unique identity that is Vietnam. The audio guides are important for non Vietnamese speakers. I appreciated the seating efforts made by my ticket handler.

A nice, unconventional theater experience. The show runs for 50 minutes, which is more than enough, anything longer would feel too long. It’s also suitable for children.