8 Saigon Shows Worth a Slot in the Plan

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · from $82Our pick

Start at 5:45 pm with hotel pickup in a private air-conditioned vehicle and an English-speaking guide. Watch a one-hour water puppet show at Golden Dragon Theater, then spend about two hours over dinner on the Saigon River. Guides have included Julia and Ming, though assignments can vary. The tour usually ends around 10 pm.

“Ming was a fantastic guide. Although the heavy traffic caused a lot of delay”

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 38 reviews · from $72

Start with a 45-minute water puppet performance at Golden Dragon Theater, then take a dinner cruise on the Saigon River. The four-hour outing includes an English-speaking guide, car transfers from District 1, and a choice of Vietnamese or Western food. Guides vary; one guest praised guide Tom and driver Jerry for clear communication and a smooth pickup.

“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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3.Skip the Line: Golden Dragon Water Puppet Show Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 35 reviews · from $22Best value

Reserve a ticket for the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Show in central Ho Chi Minh City. The 45-minute performance pairs colorful water puppets with traditional live music, telling stories drawn from Vietnamese legends and everyday life. Shows are scheduled for 6:30 pm, and the ticket is for the theater performance, not a visit to Cu Chi Tunnels or the War Remnants Museum.

“The whole show was simply delightful recommend anyone to go its only 50 mins extraordinary talent. The kids loved it the most it was lovely to see this. Traditional music all in Vietnamese but it did not matter at all”

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4.Water Puppet Show And Dinner Cruise On Saigon River Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · from $47

This three-hour private evening tour pairs a 45-minute water puppet show, with live music and hidden-rod puppetry, and a 2-hour-15-minute Saigon River dinner cruise. An English-speaking guide arranges hotel pickup in Districts 1, 3, or 4. Show and cruise tickets cost extra; guides have included Levi, Kieran, Castle, and Oliver.

“We booked this tour because we weren’t confident enough to book a dinner cruise and get to the boat dock by ourselves. This was the only tour I could find that had a dinner buffet instead of a course dinner (we are picky eaters lol) Read more”

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5.Water Puppet Show

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 21 reviews · from $24

At Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater, a mobile ticket gets you into a 45-minute show built around music, water and traditional puppets. The program moves from dragon and lion dances to farming, fishing, boat racing and the legend of King Le Loi’s restored sword. Teu serves as narrator; transport is not included.

“TL;DR: Don't bother with this booking, you can easily buy tickets at the theater and it's less expensive at the theater I'm not really sure what I received with this booking. I saw people buying tickets at the theater for 300-330 VND while my boRead more”

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6.A O Show – Included: Tour guide, Car Pick Up And Drop Off

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 11 reviews · from $65

A guide and hotel pickup take you to Lune Production’s one-hour A O Show, where bamboo circus, acrobatics, contemporary dance, and theatre trace Vietnam’s shift from village life to city life. The ticket, taxes, and transport are included; dinner is not.

“The show is very good. The local operator was efficient, getting in contact promptly to solve a problem.”

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7.Mystic Night Show – Magic & Comedy

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $44

At 8 pm, enter a small Ho Chi Minh City venue for a 90-minute magic and comedy show built around Vietnamese folklore. Expect storytelling, illusions, and audience participation, with a maximum of 30 people. The meeting point is 54 Ký Con in District 1.

“I had no idea what to expect. The welcoming sparkling wine was a nice touch but once we were lead into the first room the unexpected takes form and sets up the mood and tone for what's to come. The show has humor, good storytelling, but the most fun is the interactive element as everyone in the audience participates in a trick that blew me away!!”

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8.Chào Show with Dinner & Hotel Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $50

Spend an evening with 12 chapters of Vietnamese folk music, played on 30 traditional instruments and paired with a nine-dish dinner from Vietnam’s northern, central, and southern regions. The show uses 3D surround sound, and vegetarian meals are available. Hotel pickup is offered; guides on past tours have included Vi, Simon, Vincent, and Lili.

“It was a great time and the guide was very friendly and have a good Behaviour and a wonderful tour and the driver was also so kind and sweet”

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