Water Puppetry Show and Dinner On Cruise

This evening tour pairs two classic Ho Chi Minh City experiences in one outing: a traditional water puppet show and a dinner cruise on the Saigon River. An English-speaking guide and hotel pickup are included, so the evening runs as one connected trip rather than two separate bookings.

Pickup starts from centrally located hotels in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 in the late afternoon, with the show taking place first before the group heads to the river for dinner, and drop-off back at your hotel once the cruise ends.

Water puppet show

The evening opens with a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show, an art form that dates back centuries. Wooden puppets move across a water stage, controlled by puppeteers working hidden mechanisms below the surface, while a live orchestra and folk songs accompany stories drawn from village life, farming and Vietnamese folklore. Water puppetry began in the rice paddies of the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam roughly a thousand years ago, and performances in Ho Chi Minh City bring the same rural tradition to a modern theatre setting.

Saigon River dinner cruise

After the show, the group travels through the city toward the harbor to board a traditional-style cruise boat for dinner on the Saigon River. You can watch the city's skyline light up after dark while eating Vietnamese cuisine on board, taking in views of the skyscrapers and riverside scenery as the boat moves along the water. The pairing gives visitors a compact way to experience two very different sides of Vietnamese culture, tradition on stage and modern city life from the water, within a single evening out.

Hotel pickup and drop-off is included for centrally located hotels in District 1, and Rayna's local team is on hand for support before and during the evening.

• Traditional Vietnamese water puppet show with live orchestra and folk songs.
• Puppets move across a water stage using techniques that date back roughly a thousand years.
• Dinner cruise along the Saigon River with views of the illuminated city skyline.
• Vietnamese cuisine served aboard a traditional-style cruise boat on the Saigon River.
• English-speaking guide and hotel pickup included for centrally located District 1 hotels.

• Transportation by van or bus
• Dinner cruise
• Local English-speaking tour guide
• Water puppet show ticket
• Hotel pickup and drop-off (central District 1, excluding Tan Dinh Ward, Da Kao Ward, Nguyen Binh Kiem street and hotels in alleys)

• Travel insurance
• Drinks and beverages
• Applicable taxes
• Hotel pickup and drop-off outside of District 1

1. You will receive your tour confirmation voucher by email shortly after booking.
2. Check your spam or junk folder if it does not appear, or contact online support for help.
3. Download the voucher and present it, on your phone or as a printout, at pickup.

• Bring a valid government-issued photo ID or passport for entry.
• Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
• Eating, drinking and smoking are not permitted in the transfer vehicle or during the tour.
• This tour is not open to Vietnamese passport holders.
• Hotel pickup and drop-off is available for centrally located hotels in District 1, excluding Tan Dinh Ward, Da Kao Ward, Nguyen Binh Kiem street and hotels located in alleys.
• Be ready in your hotel lobby at least 5 minutes before your assigned pickup time.
• Seating is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and the tour runs on a shared basis unless booked as private.
• Schedules can shift with traffic, weather or operational conditions.
• No refunds or amendments apply for unused, missed or no-show services, so arrive at your pickup point on time.