Book tickets in advance for the best seats for the show at your preferred timing. Skip the lines to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre and experience one of Vietnam's most distinctive art forms live on stage.  See a unique art form that originates over 1,000 years ago in the Red River Delta. In the past, water puppetry showed the daily life of villagers such as farming, fishing and romance. Now, watch plays about ancient Vietnamese legends, myths and history. The world-famous Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi has its roots in an art form that dates back to the 11th century. The tradition of water puppet theater stems from a time when rice paddy fields were flooded and villagers would create entertainment by standing in the waist-deep water with the puppets performing over the water. Using large rods to support the puppets it appeared as if they were moving across the water with the puppeteers hidden behind a screen.

Skip the lines at the Water Puppet Theater with this service that includes show tickets. Choose from several Water Puppet Show times. Experience one of Vietnam's most memorable and traditional art forms during a live 50-minute performance. The art of water puppetry has a distinct Vietnamese identity. It came into existence more than a thousand years ago in the Red River Delta. In its earliest days, water puppetry portrayed the daily life of villagers – in farming and fishing activities, children’s play and in romance. Today the performance also brings in ancient legends and myths.

Discover the beauty of the Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Bai Tu Long Bay, known as the “Bay of Descending Dragons” on an overnight cruise. Soak up the scenery and embrace the culture on this cruise that includes a visit to Thien Canh Son Cave, the biggest cave in Bai Tu Long Bay. Day 1: Hanoi - Ha Long Bay - Bai Tu Long Bay 8 - 8:30 AM: Enjoy pickup by shuttle bus from your hotel in the Hanoi Old Quarter. 12:30 PM: Arrive at SunWorld Port. Take some time to relax and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. Wait for the captain to finish registration and then transfer to the boat. 12:45 PM: Relax with a welcome drink and listen to a short briefing about boat safety and activities before checking into your cabin. 1:30 PM: Enjoy a Vietnamese set menu while leisurely cruising further into Bai Tu Long Bay. 3 PM: Arrive in the kayaking area of Cap La Island. Kayak through the karst and enjoy some swimming. 5:30 PM: Head back to the boat for a sunset party while your boat sails to its overnight anchorage point. 7 PM: Enjoy a set dinner on board. 8:30 PM: Take some free time and challenge yourself with Vietnamese puzzle games or gather your group/family for a board game; try your luck with squid fishing or simply enjoy a cocktail and the quiet of the night on the bay. Day 2: Ha Long Bay - Bai Tu Long Bay - Hanoi 6 AM: Start your day with a Tai Chi routine on the sundeck or catch a morning view of the bay with a cup of tea or coffee. 7 AM: Breakfast is served Western style. 8 AM: Explore the hidden Thien Canh Son Cave and spend time at a white sandy beach at Hon Co Island. 9 AM: Upon return to the boat, take about 30 minutes to freshen up and finish packing. 10 AM: Attend a Vietnamese cooking demonstration and quickly learn a simple but delicious Vietnamese dish that Gordon Ramsey, a 2-star Michelin chef, used to teach – Nem Cuon. 11 AM: Enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch on the boat. 12 PM: Head back to the harbor and disembark at SunWorld pier. 12:30 PM: Say farewell to Halong Bay and ride back to Hanoi by shuttle bus. 3 - 3:30 PM: Arrive back in Hanoi.

The tour guide will welcome you at your hotel lobby, then start the walking tour in the old quarter '36 streets' to visit some famous and specialized food stalls and local restaurants. Watch as it is made and taste some particular dishes (The company can customize vegetarian food or something for other special requirements). The old quarter in Hanoi is over one thousand years old and today retains much of the old flavor that made the area special in earlier times. Each street was the exclusive domain of one trade (guilds) so there are whole streets of blacksmiths, silver shops, paper shops, headstone makers and more. Originally there were just 36 streets in the old quarter but today there are more than 50. Although many of the streets are short and the area is rather compact. It can be very difficult to find local food on your own in the hidden alleys or sidewalks, certainly the best way to experience street food is with a local. In this special tour learn about Vietnamese cuisine, culture, people and language. You will have a unique experience trying the foods of the local Hanoi people; the food is handled hygienically and comfortable venues are provide for the tastings. The benefit also goes back to the vendors or restaurants / families as the food is bought directly from them. Later, the guide will bring you to enjoy a Water Puppet show which is a unique variation on the ancient Asia puppet tradition and is a Vietnamese tradition dating back to the 11th century. Supported by a large rod placed under the water and manipulated by experienced puppeteers, the wooden puppets appear to be dancing over the water, telling folk tales. It’s entertaining and suitable for all audiences. At the end of your Hanoi tour you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you with directions or a taxi back to your hotel.

Start with pickup by your guide and begin your exploration of Hanoi. Arrive at Tran Quoc Pagoda located on Golden Fish Island at West Lake. Then visit THE Ho Chi Minh complex, you have a chance to see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh then walk around the garden to see 2 houses where he lived and worked from 1954 to 1969. Then visit One Pillar Pagoda where one worships the Goddess of Mercy. Visit the Vietnam Ethnology Museum to learn about the culture of 54 ethnic groups living in Vietnam. Enjoy some Vietnamese cuisine for lunch with a total of 8 delicious dishes. Continue to visit the Temple of Literature, the first university of Vietnam, established in the 11 century. Visit the Hoa Lo Prison Museum which was originally used by the French colonists in Indochina for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. Finally, bid farewell to your guide who will leave you at the Water Puppet Theater to enjoy the show for about 50 minutes.

Day 1: Ha Long - Lan Ha Bay 8:00 - 8:30AM Shuttle bus pick-up from Hanoi Old Quarter hotels and transfer to Ha Long Bay ( if you use the shuttle bus). Arriving Tuan Chau marina, transferred by tender of cruises. Welcome aboard the cruise. Refresh with our welcome drink. Meet the captain, crew in the cruise briefing, safety instruction. A special lunch in Vietnamese cuisine of fresh seafood and an assortment of appetizing favorites are served while sailing through Islets of Con Vit. The Cruise sails through Lan Ha Bay. The area is surrounding of extraordinary limestone karsts landscapes. We progress to Ba Trai Dao Beach Area of Lan Ha Bay- a separate part of Ha Long bay. This is a quiet tourist paradise in Vietnam, enjoy kayaking and/or enjoy swimming in the crystal clear waters of the Bay. Back cruise, drop anchor for staying overnight. Enjoy the complimentary Sunset Party on the sundeck with tea, coffee and fresh fruits. Dinner is served in the restaurant. Enjoy delicious local food prepared and served for you by our wonderful onboard catering staff. After dinner, retiring to your cabin or join the fishing excursion, watch a movie, have a drink at the bar, wifi access or play exciting games. Overnight on board. Day 2 Dark & Bright Cave - Ha Long Bay - Hanoi -( Frog Pond & Kayaking) Option 1: Dark & Bright Cave 06:00: Enjoy sunrise and admire the never ending miraculous scenery of the Bay. Practice an invigorating Tai Chi session on the sundeck. Light breakfast, coffee and tea served. Visit Dark & Bright Cave and islets by local rowing boats which is a wild and mysterious beauty in the middle of the World Heritage. Back to cruise, relax before checking out. Join cooking demonstration (teaching you how to make speciality, Spring rolls) on the cruise. Lunch is served on board. Disembark at the Tuan Chau marina by tender. Take shuttle bus to return to Hanoi. Arrival back Hanoi around 14:30PM Option 2: Frog Pond & Kayaking Have breakfast. Morning view of bay’s landscape with a cup of tea or coffee. Visitors visit the famous Frog Pond area, this is the filming location of the famous movie Kong Skull Island (King Kong) in Quang Ninh 2018. Here you can freely kayak to explore the landscape, or immerse yourself. in the cool, clear blue water of this place. Back to your cabin, take relax and check carefully all the luggage before leaving your cabin. Check-out from the private cabin and enjoy a fantastic cruise on the bay for room service. Complete check-out procedure Enjoy lunch at the restaurant while the cruise is returning to the harbour. You take the high-speed canoe back to Tuan Chau port. Return to Hanoi Arrive in Hanoi. 14:30 - 15:00 PM

The tour guide will pick you up at your hotel around 06:00 PM and then you'll get a cyclo to Hoan Kiem Lake, a hotspot for local life in Hanoi and also one of the major scenic spots in the city. Proceed to Hanoi Opera House in the French Quarter, located in central Hanoi, and erected by the French colonial administration between 1901 and 1911. Just a few steps away is the legendary Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel, a Grand Dame of Southeast Asia, beckoning guests with its unmatched colonial grandeur and timeless elegance. Here, you'll get to experience the opulence of another era.  Around 06:30 PM, stop to enjoy a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show and after that, take a walk on the the streets of the Old Quarter and enjoy traditional Vietnamese food: Chicken noodle and Egg Coffee. At the end of Hanoi tour, you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you with directions or a taxi back to your hotel.

Enjoy a full-day tour of Hanoi with a private guide and get a local's insight into Vietnam’s mythology, traditions and customs. Visit cultural and historical sites, such as the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, as well as everyday locales such as the houses of the Old Quarter. Following a pick-up at your hotel by your guide and driver, go to the Ho Chi Minh Complex to discover the heart of Viernam at “Uncle Ho’s” Mausoleum. Standing before the mausoleum are 79 cycad trees, symbolizing Ho Chi Minh’s 79 springs of life, while 2 bamboo ranges whistle in the wind to commemorate the former president and Father of the Nation. See the nearby house-on-stilts and quaint One-Pillar Pagoda, built out of wood for the 11th-century Emperor Lý Thái Tông. Continue to the Quan Thanh Taoist Temple, one of the Four Sacred Temples of Hanoi. Journey by eco car (optional) into the Old Quarter and mingle with the locals as they go about their hectic lives. In the afternoon, explore the vibrant eastern sector of Hanoi, including the Museum of History, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, and Huc Bridge. Journey by eco car into the Old Quarter and mingle with the locals as they go about their hectic lives. End with a unique water puppet show and experience an art form conceived by Vietnamese peasants hundreds of years ago.

You will be picked up at your hotel and then set out to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to explore the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho’s final resting-place. Just next door is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts and lying to one side of the Mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda, which was founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049 - the structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi. Afterwards, you will continue on to the Buddhist Tran Quoc Pagoda at West Lake (one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam). Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, proceed to visit the Ethnology Museum (applies on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays), the Literature Temple, and Quoc Tu Giam. See Vietnam’s first university, constructed in 1070 - its gardens and well-preserved architecture will offer you a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past. Go past Hoan Kiem Lake to see the peaceful water and the beauty of Ngoc Son temple. At the end of the tour, you will watch a Water Puppet show - a traditional performance that dates back as far as the 11th Century in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam.

Choose from a shared or private experience to spend a few hours exploring the local culture of Hanoi by night. Take in the sights and smells of the bustling market with your guide and learn how the locals buy and trade. Afterwards, enjoy an authentic cultural experience by seeing a water puppet show. Native to Northern Vietnam, water puppetry gives an insight into rural Vietnamese life and folklore. Puppets are made from light timbers and are carved, polished, and decorated with different colours to demonstrate the clear personalities of each character. The show is performed in a pool using the water surface as the stage. The stage is decorated with flags, fans, and parasols. The artisans inside the cabin control the puppets with a system of ropes arranged outside or underwater.  After the show, head to the West Lake where you will enjoy a lavish buffet dinner. With a wide range of food options, get a comprehensive taste of North Vietnamese cuisine to finish your evening in Hanoi.