35+ Disappointing Yet Laughable Travel Pics!
Being adults, we’re full of responsibilities. There are bills that need to be paid. There’s a house that needs to be taken care of, and there is a lot of work to be done, among other things. And it’s because of all of these responsibilities that we love going on vacations! When we’re traveling, we can forget our job and our responsibilities at least for a couple of days. In addition to being a battery recharger, going on a trip is also the perfect opportunity to see new places and go on new adventures! The world is filled with beautiful places, and we want to see as many of these as we can. With a camera in hand, we want to explore these picturesque views and capture our moments in videos and photos. But sometimes things don’t go as planned, and our vacation pics look pretty disappointing! In this article, we’re going to show you 35+ disappointing travel pictures that will certainly get you laughing!
Say cheese, girls!
Not all of us are lucky enough to be born in tropical paradises like Hawaii or the Bahamas. When we have to deal with harsh winters for most of the year, going to the beach is the perfect vacation!
The women in the picture were chilling in clear blue water when this manta ray decided to join their picture! Or is it that the man behind them who held up a manta ray and scared his friends? Either way, we can’t really tell if this is a disappointing travel pic — especially considering that these ladies will have quite the story to tell when they go back home.
Traveled for hours just for this!
Let’s imagine that one of the things on your bucket list is to visit the Grand Canyon. You finally get some time off work and organize yourself to make this long trip. You drive for hours and finally get to the Grand Canyon, feeling giddy and excited to see it! And then this happens:
This family got in their car and went on a 9-hours-long road trip to see the Grand Canyon. Once they finally got there, they were faced with not-so-favorable weather. There was so much fog in the air that they couldn’t even see the Grand Canyon, let alone take one decent picture!
A tiny disruption!
Going to the beach is one of the best ways to relax, whether you’re going with friends, alone, or with your family. If you have kids, you know just how excited children can get when they see the ocean and the sand!
When this family took their little boy and little girl to the beach, they were expecting to have a perfect day. We’re pretty sure that they did have fun during their vacation, and this picture proves it! While it must have sucked when the ocean played tricks on this family like this, we’re certain that they always get a good laugh when they see this picture!
Big Ben is under construction!
London is home to plenty of tourist attractions, including Buckingham Palace, the British Museum, the London Eye, and the ever-so-popular Big Ben. Can you imagine traveling from across the ocean just to see one of them and finding out that the attraction you wanted to see is closed?
That is exactly what happened to this guy! He traveled all the way from the United States just to cross some places off his bucket list. Much to his surprise, when he got to London, one of the places he wanted to see the most was looking just like this! We guess that now at least he has an excuse to travel to London one more time!
Mount Fuji, where are you?
Mount Fuji in Japan is one of the top-rated attractions in the whole world. Adventurous people from all over the globe travel to Japan just so that they can climb Mount Fuji. And even those who are scared of heights like to see this mountain and take pictures using it as a landscape.
The guy who took this picture chose the worst time of the year to visit Mount Fuji. The weather was awful on the day he took this picture — so much that you can’t even see the tallest mountain of Japan in the background. It’s all foggy! We can only hope that he had better luck on the following day and got to take his picture!
Let’s take a picture with the presidents!
Mount Rushmore is one of the favorite destinations for Americans who want to pay tribute to four of the most important presidents in U.S. history. When this father-son duo decided to go on a road trip together, they were hoping to take the perfect picture at Mount Rushmore.
Since it was just the two of them, father and son asked a stranger to take a picture of the two of them. They didn’t expect the stranger not to realize that they wanted a picture of themselves with the presidents carved on the mountain. Maybe they should use a selfie stick next time!
Let’s see the Night Watch!
Rembrandt is the author of some of the world’s most famous paintings. This Dutch artist has inspired several artists after him, and his paintings are exhibited in galleries and museums all over the globe — and they attract art lovers from the entire world!
When this guy traveled all the way from the United States to the Netherlands in hopes of appreciating one of Rembrandt’s most popular works, The Night Watch. What he didn’t expect was for the painting to be undergoing restoration around that same time! Poor guy!
Where is the sun?
Some American states (as well as cities) are landlocked, meaning that they’re completely surrounded by other states and not by the ocean. Because of that, many people from these states and cities don’t always get to go to the beach as often as they probably would like to.
The guy who took this picture is an Austin, Texas resident. His town is landlocked, and so he barely gets to see the beach. When he got a chance to visit California, this proud Texan decided that he should take a minute to head down to the beach. What he didn’t expect was for his timing to coincide with a rainy day in the Sunny State!
Mount Fuji, why do you keep hiding?
At the same time that Mount Fuji is a popular destination, it also seems to be quite unpredictable for tourists. Can you imagine how frustrating it must be for tourists to travel across the globe to catch a glimpse of this natural wonder — only to catch it covered in fog?
That’s exactly what happened to the guy in the picture. He traveled to Japan and was looking forward to visiting Mount Fuji. He and his friends hopped on a train to see it, but they ended up catching the wrong train. Hours later, when they finally managed to get to the mountain, it was so foggy that it was totally hidden!
First time in Paris!
In general, France is really popular among tourists. During the summer, visitors spend their time at the French Riviera. When it’s wintertime, Paris becomes the #1 destination among families — as well as lovers who want to enjoy the city’s romantic atmosphere. But when this woman visited Paris for the first time, it certainly didn’t look romantic!
On her first visit to France, this lady was more than excited to see the several tourist attractions in Paris, including the Eiffel Tower and the Notre-Dame de Paris. What she didn’t expect was that she was visiting the cathedral on the very same it caught on fire! We guess she’s not exactly France’s lucky charm!
The Leaning Tower of Pisa — or is it the Standing Tower of Pisa?
Italy is a gorgeous country filled with different landscapes. Italy has played an important role in the world’s history, and many of its tourist attractions reflect that history. The Colosseum, for instance, is one of the oldest and largest buildings in the world.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is another popular destination in Italy — and we’re pretty sure that at some point in your life, you must’ve seen a picture of someone posing as if they were holding the tower up. Though, the girl who took this picture didn’t have the chance to do that as she managed to take a picture of the tower from an angle that made it look like just another regular tower!
Excuse us, we’re trying to take a photo here!
One of the most common travel pictures fails is when a stranger walks in front of the camera right as you take your photo. It’s genuinely frustrating when that happens, especially if you’re trying to get the perfect timing for a picture.
When this family of three visited Chiang Rai, one of Thailand’s most famous cities, they wanted to capture a shot in front of the White Temple, a beautiful construction in Chiang Rai. They sure didn’t expect this woman to ruin their picture — she completely covered their young baby to the point that you can’t even find him in the picture!
Giraffe head!
Traveling to a new place is one of the best experiences that one can have. Meeting new people, seeing new places, savoring different foods — it’s like everything adds up to make the perfect combination! Naturally, we want to save these moments forever, and the best way to do that is by taking pictures.
On today’s episode of travel pics fails, we present you the photobombing giraffe! When this pair traveled abroad and visited a zoo, they wanted a picture so that they would always remember this moment. This big girl couldn’t help herself when she saw them trying to take a picture next to her — so she decided to join them in the funniest way possible!
Can I see Mona Lisa, please?
Is there an artwork that is more famous than da Vinci’s Mona Lisa? We really don’t think so! Even though this painting was created over 500 years ago, people still discuss the true meaning behind Mona Lisa and who this work represents.
Given its popularity, it’s expected that people from all over the world would fly to France just to catch a glimpse of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece. This guy decided to go to the Louvre, in Paris, to appreciate the Mona Lisa and absorb every single detail of this art piece. What he didn’t expect was that it would be nearly impossible to do so, as there were about a dozen other people doing that already!
An invisible bridge?
The Golden Gate Bridge in California is probably one of the most famous landmarks in the United States. It was once considered the tallest and longest suspension bridge, and it is still one of the prettiest bridges in the world! Because of that, many Americans travel to California in hopes of taking a picture at the Golden Gate Bridge.
When this guy traveled all the way from Maine to California, he was hoping to take a nice picture at the famous bridge. What he didn’t expect, however, was that the weather wouldn’t help him at all! Instead of snapping a shot of the breathtaking bridge, all he got was a foggy background in his selfie!
Mom doesn’t know how to take a picture.
Even if you’re not from the United States, we’re sure you must’ve seen pictures of Mount Rushmore at some point. Maybe you don’t recognize this place by its name, but you certainly will recognize it when you see the faces of former U.S. Presidents carved into the mountainside.
This family took a road trip to Mount Rushmore, hoping to take a picture at the famous landmark. The weather was favorable, the sky was clear. It was the perfect day to take a picture! What these boys didn’t expect was that their mother wouldn’t know how to take a proper picture — she forgot to include the carved faces in the picture!
The Grand Snowy Canyon!
The Grand Canyon is visited by thousands of tourists each year. This breathtakingly scenic site is one of Earth’s most beautiful natural attractions, and it helped geologists and historians learn much about the history of the North American continent.
While the Grand Canyon is mostly sunny and warm, it can also be covered in snow during the winter. The guy in the picture chose the worst season to visit the Grand Canyon — when he got there, it was not only foggy but also covered in thick snow!
Wait, what?
Vincent van Gogh is an artist that needs no introduction. His paintings are well-known worldwide, and people from all over fly to different museums just to appreciate van Gogh’s works. His work called “Sunflowers” is one of the most famous paintings in the world.
When this woman bought plane tickets to London, she was more than excited to visit the National Gallery, home to several masterpieces. Julija Néjé had no idea that van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ wouldn’t be available for her to see when she got there! She paid $25 only to find out that the painting had been loaned to another exhibition!
Mount Fuji playing tricks once again!
According to Google, it can take between 4 to 10 hours for people to climb Mount Fuji in Japan. Those who have climbed it say that the sunrise from atop this tall mountain is supposedly one of the most beautiful in the world!
After hearing that, the man in this picture climbed Mount Fuji with his friends overnight, just so that they could see this perfect sunrise. Much to their disappointment, it was incredibly foggy that day, and they couldn’t see a thing!
Mt. Manaslu, where are you?
Mt Manaslu in Nepal is one of the ten tallest mountains in the world. Many climbers travel to this mountain from places all over the world. However, it’s not that easy to climb this mountain, and the journey can take almost an entire month — that’s why some people prefer to climb one of the nearby mountains and take a picture of Mt. Manaslu.
This man traveled to Nepal, but he didn’t have the time to climb Mt. Manaslu. Instead, he decided to climb one of the smaller mountains nearby so he could get a clear shot of Manaslu. However, the weather wasn’t that clear — once he finished climbing the mountain, the sky was really cloudy, and he only managed to catch a small glimpse of Mt. Manaslu!
A detour just for nothing!
In the American state of Oregon, Crater Lake is one of the most popular lakes in the United States, as well as being the deepest lake in the country. This lake attracts tourists from all over thanks to the color of its waters. Tourists also visit Crater Lake because of a dead tree that has been floating around for over a century!
When this man traveled across the country by car, he decided that it was the perfect opportunity for him to visit Crater Lake for the first time. He made a detour and drove for hours until he got there — only to find the lake covered in fog!
Just another regular wall!
Traveling to China is quite the experience. There are several important places to be seen, including religious temples, modern cities, and, obviously, the Great Wall of China. The thing is — China is far from most western countries, so we can’t always travel to this beautiful country.
The girl in the picture was more than happy when she found out that she would be going to China. She was excited to see the places she had always dreamed of visiting, including the Great Wall. Once she got there, however, the sky was extremely foggy — which made it look like her picture was taken in front of just another brick wall!
The Taj Mahal was hiding!
The Taj Mahal is easily the most famous mausoleum on the planet — and also the most popular landmark in all of India. This building is also one of the oldest in the world, with its construction completed in the mid-1600s.
Every year, around 7 million people visit the Taj Mahal. The guy who took this picture was one of these people — but he was quite unlucky! While he did get to see this incredible mausoleum, he couldn’t take a picture of the Taj Mahal because it was covered in fog!
When your dad takes your picture!
Technology evolved really fast, and some people were unable to keep up with the pace. Our parents and grandparents may be included in this list of people — even though they learn how to do basic stuff using technology, there are still some things that are basically impossible for them.
Apparently, one of the things that a lot of parents can’t do on cellphones is to take proper pictures. For instance, this guy traveled a long way to visit Machu Picchu in Peru, and he asked his dad to take a picture of him. As you can see in the photo, his father had a hard time taking a picture — his finger covered half of the lens, blocking out the landscape!
Where did the water go?
A very long time ago, bridges were considered unholy. Why you ask? Because at the time of their invention, their design was so impressive that people believed that they could only have been made by the Devil — which is why this next bridge, called Die Rakotzbrücke, is also known as “The Devil’s Bridge”!
Thousands upon thousands of tourists visit this bridge every year, as it is one of Germany’s most famous landmarks. This particular tourist didn’t expect that the bridge would be undergoing renovations during the time he visited! The bridge was closed, and the water had been drained. Hopefully, he’ll get to see the bridge again on another occasion!
What a view!
Whenever we have the opportunity (and the money) to travel to a new place, we want to make sure that we stay in the best hotel room, with the best view possible. However, sometimes things don’t work as expected, and we’re left disappointed!
In this case, this guy was out of town for the weekend and got himself a hotel room with an alleged great view of the mountains. What he didn’t know was that the snow from the mountains would come down and leave him out of any view from his hotel room windows!
Mount Fuji strikes again!
By now, you’ve probably realized that Mount Fuji is quite the trickster. Want a tip? If you ever happen to go to Japan, check the weather report beforehand — that’s going to save you a lot of disappointment! This next guy obviously didn’t do that.
After hours of traveling to Japan, once this guy got to Mount Fuji, it looked like this: covered in fog. Just like many people before him, he probably didn’t check what the weather would be like on this particular day. At least somebody was kind enough to let that picture of Mount Fuji behind!
Great view of nothing!
The Preikestolen (also known as Pulpit Rock) in Norway is one of the most popular destinations in Europe. This steep cliff stands at almost 1,000 meters tall, and it has a flat top that has become a tourist attraction where people can take pictures with a breathtaking background.
The man in this picture boarded a plane from the United States to Norway, hoping to visit as many places as possible in this picturesque country. On his last day in the country, he visited Pulpit Rock — unfortunately, it was so foggy that day that he couldn’t get a decent picture!
Climbed hours to see the view!
Salkantay Trek in Peru is a top-rated destination for tourists because it leads to the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu. Lots of adventure-seeking people walk along this trek every year in hopes of getting to the famous citadel.
The highest point before you get to the citadel is known as “Abra Salkantay,” and is situated at 4,600 meters — from this point, you can even see the mountain peak! When this guy got to Abra Salkantay, he wanted to take a picture and register this amazing moment — but all he got to photograph was a dense thick fog!
Climbed hours to see Machu Picchu!
The road to Machu Picchu is pretty long: it can take days for hikers to get to this ancient citadel. Because of that, lots of people who don’t have much experience with hiking give up halfway. Still, they stop to take pictures and show their friends that they were really close to Machu Picchu.
The guy in this picture, for instance, spent hours hiking the trek that leads to Machu Picchu. Once he was halfway through the trek, he noticed that the sky wasn’t that clear. When he took a picture and all he got was a foggy background, he decided to go back to his hotel and try hiking another day!
Trying to see Mt. Everest!
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world — and, naturally, lots of people are attracted by the challenge of climbing this mountain! While only experienced climbers can climb Everest, many tourists have the option of appreciating this natural beauty from nearby locations.
This guy spent hours walking until he reached a location where hikers can see the peak of Mount Everest. It wasn’t his lucky day, considering how quickly the weather worsened and a fog curtain covered the entire view! After hiking for hours, he couldn’t even get a decent picture — how disappointing!
A scary castle!
Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany is one of the most popular destinations in Europe. Built specifically for the King of Bavaria, this castle is an important symbol of the era of Romanticism — which is why it has become so famous and welcomes over 1 million tourists every year.
People worldwide travel to Europe to visit the amazing castles on this continent, including Neuschwanstein Castle. However, the guy who took this picture should’ve probably checked the weather report before he made the trip to Neuschwanstein — the castle was covered in fog when he got there!
Where is the Grand Canyon?
The Grand Canyon in Arizona is one of the most popular destinations among tourists in the United States. This site is rich in both geological and cultural histories — not only has the Grand Canyon been inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years, but it has also contributed greatly to the understanding of the continent’s history!
The man in the picture is one of the many visitors the Grand Canyon welcomes annually. The fog in the air was so thick that he couldn’t take a proper picture at this location. However, we’re not sure if it counts as a disappointing travel pic — it looks like he’s standing above the clouds! Isn’t that awesome?
Haleakala or just a regular wall?
The Haleakala is the tallest mountain in Maui, and it formed up almost the entire island of Maui! Climbing this mountain (which is really a volcano) can be quite difficult, and it takes hours to get to the highest point in its summit.
When experienced hikers manage to get to the summit of Haleakala, they face cold temperatures and thin air. This guy put in a lot of effort into climbing the Haleakala and hoped to get a perfect shot of his location. He didn’t expect that this thick fog wouldn’t help him!
The perfect honeymoon destination!
Paris is truly a romantic city. If you’ve watched movies like Midnight in Paris, you know exactly what we’re talking about! Because of its popularity among lovers, the French capital has always been one of the favorites destinations for newly-married couples to visit on their honeymoon.
Enjoying the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower is one of the top activities for couples. They can enjoy each other’s embrace while taking in the beautiful view of picturesque Paris. However, this newly-married couple wasn’t so lucky: the sky was super foggy, and they couldn’t see a thing from the top of the Tower!
Can’t see Mount Fuji but she’s still happy!
This is the fifth and last installment from our Mount Fuji saga! By now, you know that this mountain is pretty unpredictable and the best thing you can do is check the weather report right before you leave your hotel room to go to Mount Fuji!
The girl in the picture above clearly didn’t follow our recommendation — and she chose a foggy day to visit this beautiful mountain. But unlike other tourists, she didn’t seem that disappointed. In fact, she’s sporting a huge smile! Now that’s what we call a positive person!
What you see on Instagram vs. Reality!
The Havasu Falls at the Grand Canyon is commonly known as an oasis amid the desert. Visiting this breathtaking location is on the top of the bucket list of many people. The Havasu Falls are especially popular thanks to their crystal blue waters!
However, the water isn’t always crystal clear. If you happen to visit the Havasu Falls during the rainy season, just like the person who took this picture did, you’ll find brown water instead of crystalline water because of flash floods!
I love New York — but where is it?
The Rockefeller Center is probably one of the most popular tourist attractions in New York City. The “Top of the Rock” is a great place for tourists to get a perfect view of the Big Apple, and thousands upon thousands of tourists visit it.
When this couple got the opportunity to visit New York City for a day, they didn’t waste any time visiting the city’s best landmarks. However, when they got to the Top of the Rock, they couldn’t see an inch of NYC due to bad weather. We can totally see the disappointment all over their faces!
Mount Rushmore, or is it Mount “Fogmore”?
Most people visit Mount Rushmore in hopes of taking the perfect picture near the mountainside with the carved faces of former presidents. But as we’ve shown you in previous pictures, if a person doesn’t know how to take a proper picture, it’s certainly going to be a travel pic fail!
In this couple’s case, they went on a road trip and stopped by Mount Rushmore to take a picture and show their kids. They didn’t take a picture without showing the presidents, which is a common error among tourists — instead, their picture was ruined by the fog!
A waste of time!
For those interested in history, traveling is a great way of learning firsthand how some things happened. In Germany, Wittenberg played an important role during Martin Luther’s Reformation — legend has it that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of a Catholic church!
This guy traveled to Wittenberg in hopes of seeing this iconic place that helped Martin Luther kick off his Reformation movement. Much to his disappointment, the door was undergoing restoration, and all he got to see was a picture of the door! Hopefully, he’ll get another chance to revisit this location!
Double penalty!
Mount Rushmore may not play as many tricks on tourists as Mount Fuji, but it is certainly on the right track! Sometimes, it’s not the photographer who is at fault for taking disappointing pictures at this location — there are occasions when the weather just doesn’t want to co-operate either!
For this guy, he was unlucky to visit Mount Rushmore around the same time that it was being restored. And if that wasn’t enough, the weather didn’t help much. It was a pretty hazy day, and he couldn’t even get a picture from a distance!
A bridge to nowhere?
Switzerland is one of the top destinations for those who want to enjoy a fantastic winter vacation. Beautiful resorts, picturesque views, great food, nice people — who wouldn’t love to be there? The snowy mountains are also quite popular, but they sure can disappoint you if your timing is off!
The guy who took this picture, for instance, had very bad luck during his winter vacation. He got to see some beautiful places, but the one place he was most looking forward to visiting was completely off-limits. Thick snow covered a bridge that connected two mountains and he couldn’t get anywhere!
This is why you don’t listen to just about anyone!
There’s no need to introduce the Golden Gate Bridge. This is one of the most popular landmarks in America, and it is visited by many tourists every day. If you visit the Golden Gate Bridge on a sunny day, you’re bound to take a perfect picture!
This guy didn’t have such luck. During a trip to California, he was told that he should visit the famous bridge early in the morning because that was when the bridge was supposed to look the prettiest. What he got instead was this picture of a fog-covered Golden Gate Bridge!
Is this really the Grand Canyon?
The Grand Canyon and its scenic view are incredibly popular during the summer. It’s no wonder that we’re used to seeing pictures of the Canyon under the clear blue sky. However, it does snow at this location — so much so that it can be dangerous for people to visit the Grand Canyon after a snowfall!
The guy who took this picture apparently forgot to check what would be the best time to visit the Grand Canyon. Instead of seeing the usually dry canyon, all he got was a picture of a bunch of snow! Let’s all hope that this unlucky person gets to revisit the Grand Canyon during the summer and get the perfect shot!