Travel is an experience that deserves to be relished in and captured.
If you travel and own a camera or smartphone, it’s safe to say you’ll return home from vacation with hundreds of snapshots. Or thousands. Some destinations are just really, really ridiculously good-looking.
There’s no shame in admitting that you want your Instagram caption to do your photos justice. If you’re having an unforgettable experience with the person who means the most to you, you want your photos to match the day-to-day bliss of being on vacation.
But sometimes, even the best-laid plans don’t work out so well—and these perfectly timed photos show the perfect example of that. Let’s take a look at the most hilarious vacation photo fails.
Baby Meet Dolphin
This baby does not seem happy at all. She cried and cried and cried because she just wanted to see the pretty dolphins, her favourite animal of all. So finally, after a long day at the aquarium, the family took their sweet little girl to see the dolphins. When she got there the crying escalated. Hey, how is she supposed to understand the laws of gravity, glass and safe spaces? For all she knows, Mr Dolphin is about to swallow her whole!
Not So Patient
Have you seen those over-enthusiastic Disney first-timers who wear the same outfit to avoid getting lost from each other or their group? This downright ridiculous photo takes foolishness and hilariousness several notches higher. They also couldn’t turn around and smile for the camera.
Leaning Tower of Pisa
When you go to an ultra touristy place like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, you’ll find visitors doing all sorts of crazy things for the attraction’s most ridiculous yet wanted photo opportunity. Look at all these people all around the site trying to place their hands in the air to capture the perfect Pisa tourist picture.
Fourth Of July Parade
We are all heading to the momentous Fourth of July parade and I want you all to wear your oversized buckets lest you all get lost in the crowd. I mean seriously, what are they thinking? It is good to be innovative and think out of the box (or is it out of the bucket?) but that doesn’t mean you pile up head gear that looks like it is made out of buckets. How about freedom and liberty from ridiculous ideas?
Nice Costume Dude
Why would anyone want to subject bystanders to this visual torture? What is so appealing about a hairy male donning a pair of ultra-short hot pants revealing half his butt for the world to see? We don’t even want to venture into how it must look from the front! We wonder if this holiday prank was worth it.
Souvenir From Trip To California
Yes, it may be an uber-cool idea to get inked on your next trip to California or just about anywhere. However, please apply some thought about what you want up there on your body before doing it. This is proof that tattoos can go wrong, don’t make any hasty decisions when you are in a vacation mood.
Kissing The Blarney Stone
Now there’s this really strange tourist trap at Blarney Castle. Visitors are supposed to be blessed with eloquence on kissing the Blarney Stone. Now think of how awkward it would be to have people falling into the trap if it wasn’t for the bars. This practice makes for insanely hilarious pictures.
Buffalo Buddy
Regardless of the reason, however, this photo looks way too good. When this guy in the photo looks back on this day a few years later, he would probably laugh at how scared he was and his reaction to a practically harmless buffalo. Too funny!
Never Again
We wouldn’t blame the kid for running away from anything remotely Disney after having endured semi-torture from this rather sinister Mickey Mouse. And what is Mickey thinking? Why on earth would you freak out a crying child, even more? Monster Mouse is more like it! We think the kid will grow up to be a huge Dreamworks fan.
Naturally Happy
This one we can’t blame on bad timing. It’s amazing timing from the stingray. They certainly did not expect this scary stingray to pop up from behind them and it caught them by surprise. Stingrays are huge and scary and by the looks of it nosy. You can’t blame them for their reaction… and good on them for staying put for the photo!
Look Behind You
No matter how you look at it, it’s simply wrong. It certainly wasn’t these ladies’ plans that their vacation would get ruined by some random pervert. They have on the same colored plastic glasses, so perhaps the guy is part of their group. Regardless of whether or not they were together on vacation, they certainly didn’t need him to take photos of their butts. At least the guy enjoyed the view.
Elephant Mishap
Well, this happens a lot when you just happen to ride a seemingly large animal that’s in heat. Of course, a male can’t help itself around a female that is in heat, they are animals after all. We all want to think that this is super hilarious, but what about the people who were actually in the photo? We are starting to wonder how they feel about this one, maybe a mixture of both annoyed and happy?
Grandma And The Chippendales
This grandma seems to be having more fun than any of the other vacationers on this list combined. This woman looks determined, almost as if she was walking by with her family when she spotted the gorgeous Chippendales and decided she wasn't going to miss her chance. Good for grandma!
R-rated Family Photo
One of the best parts about the photo, though, is the amusement on the people's faces. This is one for the family album, they will never forget this vacation and this rare sighting. When the timing is right, a tortoise must do what he must do, regardless of an onlooking audience.
What In The World…?
The unpredictability of vacation never ceases to amaze. Upon waking up, you can’t fathom what is to come for that day. The day could turn out relaxing, cool and calm by the pool, or you could end up covered in duct tape with three vodka cans taped to your torso.
It’s just that unpredictable.
Goth Beach Trip
This girl took things to a whole new level with her outfit. We all know that going to the beach means going in a bathing suit but because this girl is too much of a rebel as she decided to go with the black. Guess who is overdressed in this photo.
A Power Nap At The Beach
With this couch at the beach, why even go home? Why pay rent? Why have a job? This guy just solved all his life problems with one pull-out couch, that is only until the tide comes in though. When that happens he will have a whole lot of new problems.
Dangerous Waters
This isn’t a scene from the movie Jaws, it’s a real-life photo! You would think that a sign like this would keep everyone out of the water but as you can see, many beachgoers were undeterred by a potential shark encounter. Now, if this was your only time to get in the water on your vacation, we can see the temptation to get your feet wet.
Animal Lover
Everyone wants to take a flattering snap of them being all at one with nature and charming the local animals, a la Snow White in the forest. This gal probably wanted a cute pic of herself cuddling an alpaca, but she didn’t bank on this giant bird swooping in for an epic photobomb!
Sacrifices For Love
We all make sacrifices for the sake of our relationships. Sometimes it’s going to your partner's parents house when you don’t feel like it or compromising on your holiday destination.
This could have been the ultimate romantic setting and picture if it wasn’t for the poor guy in the middle hanging onto the two horses.
New Eye Wash Product
Isn’t it always a good idea to have your friend pouring some alcohol into your mouth? Well, the only problem arises when it has to be done. In reality, what happens is that in most cases it will miss your mouth, get in your eyes and end up going the opposite way you wanted it to, mostly all over your face.
Just Keep Smiling
You might think that taking a cute pic in nature couldn't possibly go wrong, right? What could be the problem? Well, this photo is the answer to that question. The poor little dog almost blew away, but just had to pose for the perfect picture.
Cows Can Relax Too!
You’ve certainly come across the knowledge that cows have besties too. So it’s not surprising that they also take girls day outings to just relax at the beach. This happens all the time on Indian beaches and is no unfamiliar sight. Who wants to hang out with a cow on the beach, not cool.
The Tide is High
Clearly, this woman must have been reasonably safe, because whoever was taking this picture was near enough to help her out of the water. She must have been deeply asleep not to notice the tide coming in all around her! Hope they wake her up in time.
Let Me Have A Bite
What she wanted the most was a perfect shot for her Instagram wall… but instead, what she got in return was a picture of the disaster. To prevent this from happening to you, keep your food closer to your body and eat it as quickly as you can. We all know that seagulls are like vultures.
Vacation Hospital Time
This family seems way too excited for a visit to the emergency room. It's even funnier that this father is taking a photo of the historic hospital, which isn’t historical at all, with the family posing in front of it. Something is terribly wrong with all the different images in this photo. This is hilarious though.
Work It
Some people are excellent at blending in whilst taking pictures of buildings, interesting scenery and other people. You don’t even know they’re there! Other people are a little less subtle, showing off their fancy cameras and asking people to move out of the way. This guy, he’s on a whole other level of photo skills.
Looking For Something?
Maybe the Bull is hollow, and he lost something inside and is looking for it. Even if that’s the case though - how did he get it inside? This guy was too curious and wanted to explore parts of this statue too thoroughly. What’s funnier, he got his head stuck in the bull statue’s butt. Guys, help this poor man out, he was just curious!
Best Photobomb Ever In Cuffs
In all vacation history, this must be the best photobomb there ever was. Here go four girls trying to get an Instagram photo just in time for peak posting times, when all of a sudden the guy walks straight into the shot, hurled in handcuffs by the police. What are the odds of that happening?
The Poser And The Stumbler
It seems like she was trying to go for one of those mid-air jumping photos, but stumbled instead. Or maybe the photographer just snapped the pic two seconds too late. Regardless, this one's a keeper.
Sombrero Fun
Okay, we all know how it feels to wear something we don’t like, and especially when it’s your parents who are forcing you to wear it. Mothers are known for making their kids wear silly outfits, but that’s just them trying to make their kids look good. These kids don’t like the idea of wearing these massive hats. It’s hilarious, and they look super miserable.
Dog Attack
We all know how playful dogs get when they are excited, this one probably was trying to show his appreciation for the little boy, but it turned bad. It’s hilarious, and we are sure that the family did not react right away. It doesn't seem serious, but then again if they were to look at this a few years into the future, they would still laugh at it.
Is That Even Possible?
Sunburns can sometimes become borderline insane. Although these guys pulled it off, we’re not certain how some of these are even possible.
In this case, some aloe vera will come in handy, especially for this poor oak on the far left. Hopefully, this occurrence was at the end of the vacation and not the beginning.
Sign Of Warning
This sign screams either sarcasm or confusion, whichever way you read it.
But we can agree that the point is to not fly a kite there. Looks like the person who designed the sign had a great time though. This one must draw some good smiles from the vacationers.
Attacked By Deer
This boy seems super happy with his photo though, but we are not sure about his sister. She seems to be attacked by a pack of hungry deer in the background. She might have had some food in her hand. He does not know what is happening behind his back though which makes it an epic picture to look back on when they both get older.
Making Waves
Let’s take a nice photo in the water, it'll make a sweet family photo, they said. Hmmm… I think next time rethink what an unexpected crashing wave can do to a perfect pose. Here’s the proof that sometimes family pictures in front of the water, rather than in it, are a little safer. At least they got an action photo.
Think Local
Taking pictures with locals in traditional costumes is great but it will be an unforgettable memory if the person you are getting clicked with is touching you in all the wrong places. What is this man even trying to do? And more surprising, the woman is so engrossed in getting herself clicked that she doesn’t even realize what the man is doing?
Who Needs Sunglasses
If it comes down to it, put your underwear on your face for protection from the scorching sun rays. Anything goes, because vacation time is a shameless time. Besides that “what happens at the beach, stays at the beach’, or not?
Everything Is Revealed In Slow-Mo
It’s hard to decide what’s funny in this photo, is it the look of fear on the parents’ faces or the one of pure joy on the one child’s face, or maybe the fact that the baby doesn’t know that he’s falling? I wouldn’t worry much about it, beach sand is soft and babies bounce when they fall, he’s probably fine.
Bear Needs Directions
This is either the worst case of car trouble we've ever seen or this family stopped to get a closer look at that mama bear and her cub. Regardless, we would seriously advise them to get that car moving ASAP. Not even to mention the exposed child on the back of the vehicle.
Sitting On A Branch
This is too funny. We wonder how long it took for this family to all get up on this tree branch and sit together closely just to take a family photo like this, without anybody falling down. They all look unharmed and quite happy though, so it was worth taking the risks.
From Paris With Love
Nothing like a nice family vacation to France, especially when it comes to the awaited photo by the famous Eiffel Tower. However, it seems this kid didn't get the memo, and despite his parents doing their best effort to smile and pose, you can't help but look at the crouching kid with his head in the plastic bag.
Scary Donkey
Aww, don’t be scared, this donkey just wants to be friends. Although we all want to believe that this donkey will play nice, he’s not like the loveable donkey in that Shrek movie. He was probably just a little too curious about what treats were hiding in the car. This donkey looks like a super gangster with a set of gold-plated teeth, no wonder this kid got scared.
No One Will Know
How many people out there actually Photoshop their holiday photos to brag about the places they didn’t go? Probably not so many, you’d need some pretty professional skills to pull that off. Unfortunately, this person didn’t get the memo that there are some basic skills needed to operate Photoshop, and a patchy copy and paste just isn’t enough. At least they tried.
Oh Dear Denim
Who thought it was a good style choice to have the whole family dressed in denim for their vacation family picture. Not only is it hot, uncomfortable and all-round a cheesy look, can you imagine the sweaty feeling of the whole double denim wearing family stacked on one another.
This Monkey Lends A Helping Hand
Her primary goal was to take a photo with a cute innocent monkey. But as it played out, the monkey had other plans of its own, and they didn’t include being pure of mind. As we all know by now, monkeys can get up to, well monkey business. When it comes to animal made photo-bombs though, this monkey certainly takes the cup as it seems to be the naughtiest.
Bags of Fun
We do not fancy trying to extract our bags from this horrific and downright dangerous-looking stack of luggage. It’s like a giant and potentially deadly game of Jenga.
If ever a reason to try and keep your luggage small enough to carry on with you onto the plane, it’s this sight. We have no idea how this terrible scene must have ended and we are not sticking around to find out.
Sleeping In The Luggage Section
What do you expect to find when you open the luggage section of your tour bus? Certainly, not a pot-bellied fellow sleeping in there without his pants!. And where on earth did the entire luggage (including his pants) go?
Nice Background
Stop making everyone else look fat. Don’t you just hate it when a gorgeous woman decides to show off her beach bod? We don’t either. But I’m not sure the lady in the background wasn’t too pleased. We hope this wasn’t a before and after vacation photo though.
