There's nothing quite like planning a dream vacation, right? You book the flights, you reserve the hotel, you pack for the trip, and you prepare yourself for the adventure of a lifetime. But while it's always good to get a head start on vacation planning, nothing can prepare you for what happens when you get there. And these people realized this for themselves when they experienced the worst (but also the most hilarious) vacation fails we've ever seen.
Monkey Steal and Monkey Do
If you're the kind of person who prefers adventure over cocktails by the pool, you probably add at least one hike into your vacation plans. And there's no doubt about the fact that hiking is a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture and experience wide-spanning views of the place you're visiting. But sometimes, you can immerse yourself a little too much, and it seems as though this person did just that.
As they got to the top of a giant mountain, they obviously got a little too close to this monkey. Not only did the monkey steal their bottle of water, but it then proceeded to drink it right in front of them!
The Infamous Fish Lips
While we know that this is a vacation fail, we can't help but think that this should also be hung in the Louvre. After all, it's a masterpiece! No matter how hard anyone tries, they'll probably never be able to take a photo like this ever again. This was a convenient fluke and one that shows the infamous "fish lips" in a completely different light. And we absolutely love it.
This photo was taken by a husband on his honeymoon, and while we're sure his wife wasn't too impressed with the end result, let's just hope that she came around and agreed to let him hang it above their fireplace.
The Ultimate Photobomb
If you're currently vacation planning, why not add Iceland to your bucket list? For many, this is the dream vacation - even if the price of the flights and the hotels will set you back a few more dollars than you'd like. When you get there, though, you might want to check your surroundings before you start taking what you think are beautiful photos. If you don't, you might fall victim to the ultimate photobomb.
As far as photobombs go, this is by far one of the most hilarious we've ever seen. From the Blue Lagoon mud on his face to the animalistic pose, everything about this photobomb is so funny.
"Does My Breath Smell? "
There's nothing better than checking out the local wildlife when you go on vacation, and we bet the animals who roam the streets of tourist traps are used to having people coming and going on a regular basis. But it seems as though animals suffer the same problems that we do, and this camel was just a little conscious of its breath. So, he wanted this tourist to have a whiff!
It doesn't look like this woman really appreciated the intrusion (or the bad breath), but at least this photo is a hilarious souvenir for her to take home with her.
A Cavernous Anticlimax
When vacation planning, you probably do tons of research. You might spend hours reading reviews of the hotel, as well as price-checking flights and researching the trips you could take while you're there. These people did the exact same thing when they planned their dream vacation to Scotland, and after this "famous cave" came up as a recommendation time and time again, they knew they had to make the two-hour trek to see it for themselves.
Yes, this was what they were greeted with after a strenuous hike! This cavernous anticlimax was barely a cave at all but more like a little hole in the wall.
Going up in Flames
The phrase "gone up in flames" is normally reserved for hypothetical situations, but it seems as though this person's dream vacation turned into a nightmare when they were dealt with this real-life situation on the very first day of their vacation. Yes, they had traveled hours to spend time in this 100-year-old family cabin, only to experience a large storm that ultimately caused the house to burn down. Thankfully, everyone escaped unscathed.
Of course, most people expect to relax and unwind on the first day of their vacation. But we have a feeling that these people didn't get the chance to do that.
When the Excitement Is Too Much
Have you ever been to Amsterdam? Known for its beautiful canals, stunning tulip fields, historical architecture, and intriguing museums, we don't blame this woman for being excited about her trip to Amsterdam. But it turns out that she was so excited about her romantic canal tour that she couldn't sleep the night before - and that soon turned into a problem. It was nothing a good nap couldn't fix, though.
Sure, she actually missed the canal tour because she fell asleep. But with the rocking of the boat underneath her, who could blame her for taking the opportunity to catch up on some Zs?!
California Dreamin'
For many people, the excitement of planning a vacation is sometimes bigger than the excitement they feel when they get there. And we can't help but think that this couple experienced that when they planned their trip to Los Angeles. As they walked down the Venice Beach boardwalk, they had to deal with the fact that it was cold and rainy outside. But that wasn't all they had to deal with.
Yes, that is someone getting arrested right in front of them! But we guess you could say that they were getting the true, authentic LA experience. At least the shark is pretty cool, right?
Does Whatever a Spider Monkey Does
No dream vacation would be complete without taking a few photos on the beach. This is a rite of passage all tourists have to go through, and it seems as though these guys got the memo about that, too. And all was going so well until they were photobombed by a spider monkey who obviously didn't like the fact that they were standing in that specific spot. It didn't offer the best view of the ocean, after all.
What we love about this hilarious vacation fail is that the spider monkey looks so incredibly dramatic. It looks like its whole life depends on this one moment, and it's pretty funny.
The Censor Fish
When you pay for flights to take you halfway across the world, you don't want to spend all of your time in the hotel room. Instead, you need to make the most of your dream vacation. And this couple planned on doing just that - which is why they booked to go diving amongst the fishes and the coral. But while they wanted to take a photo of their underwater adventures, it seems as though this censor fish didn't want bare skin in the photo.
So, it blocked the bare skin - allowing them to take their picture but keeping things PG simultaneously. We guess Dory didn't want to just keep swimming when this happened.
Ouch, That Hurts
This is a public service announcement to anyone currently planning a vacation; remember your sunscreen! Even if you think you don't need it, it's always a good idea to pack some just in case. And we bet this guy regrets his decision to leave his sunscreen in his hotel room when he went kayaking for the day. The hot sun, coupled with the belly rolls caused by sitting up for hours on end, wasn't a good combination.
While we're sure he's annoyed with the inconsistent sunburns, he's probably more annoyed by the fact that he's going to spend the next few days in the most unimaginable pain possible.
Over Before It Began
Everyone has their own idea of what the perfect vacation is. For some, it's two weeks on the beach with all-inclusive food and drink. For others, it's an adventure vacation filled with 4x4 driving and bungee jumping. And then there are some who love the idea of a fishing vacation. This guy is one of them, and he even hiked to a 3,000-ft elevation to fish in a high alpine lake.
Unfortunately, his dream vacation didn't exactly go according to plan. Just as he got to the top, he was greeted by a mountain goat who wanted to nibble on his fly rod!
The Lone Suitcase
No matter how much time you spend vacation planning, there's always room for something to go wrong - especially at the airport. As soon as you check in and hand your luggage over to the airport workers, you have no idea if you're ever going to get that suitcase back. And it seemed as though the owner of this suitcase was going to have a bad vacation before it had even properly started.
If we saw this out of the window, we'd be walking straight up to the nearest airport worker to confirm that our luggage had made it onto the plane. We're not taking any risks!
The City of... Fog?
It's no secret that Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations around the world. From the culture to the food and the stunning hotels, there's so much for people to see and do. But no trip to Paris would be complete without a trip up the Eiffel Tower, right? This guy knew that which is exactly why he made his way up to the top in order to see the view in all of its glory.
We can imagine his disappointment when he got to the top and realized that he couldn't see a single thing! But, unfortunately, this isn't an uncommon occurrence in the city of lights.
Always Check the Packet
Although some people are able to pack for a vacation in half an hour, there are others out there who need at least a week to check they've packed everything they need. And when they've checked once, they'll then go ahead and check twice! But we can only assume that this person didn't get around to checking twice, which is why they accidentally mixed up their digestive aids and their laxatives.
This wasn't helpful when they started having stomach problems a few days into their vacation. Especially as they didn't realize they'd mixed up their medication until they'd already taken it!
A Prehistoric Vacation
We live in a world where technology reins supreme, and no vacation would be complete without taking countless photos of your adventures. This woman obviously got that memo, which is why she wanted to take a few snaps of herself in front of a waterfall. And while everything seemed to be going well, she soon realized that her beautiful photo wasn't quite as beautiful as it seemed. In fact, she had a dinosaur in the background!
Let's hope this was her friend and they can see the funny side of this vacation fail, otherwise, she'll have to go back to this waterfall again and have a re-do!
Presentation Day!
Some people book adventures for a little break away from their normal life, and this guy did exactly that. While in the midst of studying for his finals, he decided to take himself off on a weekend hike to embrace nature and the fresh air away from his books. Of course, what he didn't anticipate was getting an allergic reaction during his hike, and coming back home looking like this.
We can't help but feel sorry for this guy. Not only does that look incredibly uncomfortable, but he also looked like this on the day of a big presentation. Poor guy!
The Accidental Selfie
If you've never heard of the accidental selfie before, let us enlighten you. In fact, it's not a hard concept to grasp. This occurs when someone accidentally takes a selfie of themselves without meaning to, and that's what happened to this man. He was asked by a couple on vacation to take a photo of them, and that's what he tried to do. However, it's safe to say that he didn't succeed.
Instead of taking a picture of the couple, he took a photo of himself as he was holding the phone backward! And while we feel a little sorry for the couple, this is still hilarious.
The Wheels Don't Go Round and Round
We all know that the wheels on the bus go round and round, but what about the wheels of a car on someone's first trip to Houston? Well, we don't think they go anywhere at all. Especially as this guy parked up for all of half an hour before someone came along and stole his tires. We're assuming they stole his tires, anyway. Perhaps they were performing some kind of NASCAR pit stop?
Either way, this guy wasn't able to go anywhere with his tire-less car in that poor condition. So, let's hope that he managed to get out of Houston another way.
A Lost Sole
Many lost souls head into the woods to embrace nature and think about life, but this takes that notion to a whole new level. When this person decided to go on a huge hike in the middle of the forest, they weren't a lost soul - but they did lose their sole! As they were halfway through their hike, the soles of their shoes fell off, leaving the bottom of their feet exposed to the elements.
This is like our worst fears come true, and it's fair to say that this would turn a dream vacation into a nightmare. Let's just hope there weren't any poisonous animals in this forest.
A Sea View... Kind Of?
When you plan a vacation, what are you looking for? Something close to home but immersed in nature? A long flight to somewhere that looks like paradise? Or maybe a beautiful hotel with sea views? So many people want a sea view when they book a vacation, and that's exactly what this person wanted. And while this Airbnb claimed to have a sea view, we can't help but think that they stretched the truth slightly.
Yes, we know that the ocean is behind those buildings somewhere. But we can only see the tiniest hint of blue... so does it really count? We'll let you decide on that one.
Time to Get Towed
Vacations come in all shapes and forms, and in the U.S., many people choose to drive for a staycation within the country. Of course, this can still be pretty exciting - but not when your car breaks down. This person felt that pain when their rental car broke down in the middle of their road trip, but their vacation fail got even worse when the tow truck that was supposed to save them also broke down!
In the end, it was like tow-truck-ception, and we have a feeling that this person was probably in a bad mood after this. That's not a good start to your vacation.
Put It in Rice
When planning a vacation with kids, it's hard to keep track of everything - especially when it comes to hotels. When you're away from home, you have to be on hand to deal with all of the sleeping arrangements, and this is also the case when you have to pull out a sofa bed for the kids. But let this be a public service announcement to all parents out there: make sure there are no phones in the hinges of the sofa bed!
Unfortunately, this parent was only alerted to the fact that their son's phone was in the hinges when they heard the tell-tell sounds of a cracking screen. Maybe they should try putting it in rice?
What a View
To some people, there's nothing better than waking up in the morning on vacation and heading out on a hike. You get out before the sun gets too hot, and you get to see the beauty of the local area before it gets too busy. But, on the other hand, there's nothing more annoying than waking up, going for a hike, reaching the top, and then realizing that the fog is restricting your view!
We guess the one saving grace with this vacation fail is the fact that they could at least see what they were supposed to be looking at. So, thanks to the sign for being so helpful!
Follow the Colorful Road
Nowadays, so many people plan their dream vacations around popular Instagram spots - like this colorful road! And when this person saw it online, they instantly booked their flights, chose their hotel, and hopped on over to see it in person. But we guess that what you see online isn't the same as what you see in real life, as they were severely disappointed when they spotted this colorless road instead.
While there's definitely a few hints of color on those bricks, it's certainly not as impressive as it looks online. But, in the grand scheme of things, is anything as impressive as it looks online?
There's a Castle There
Dear readers, let's play a game. What do you think this guy is pointing to? A beach? A beautiful hotel? A historic monument? Well, it's actually a castle! This man traveled all the way to Germany to see the famous Neuschwanstein Castle from what is normally a great viewpoint - but it seems as though he just wasn't very lucky with the weather. That's a great view of some clouds, though.
If we were this guy, we'd be pretty annoyed. But no matter how much you try to plan a dream vacation, nothing can stop the weather from doing its thing.
Oopsie Daisy
Let's be honest; your honeymoon is your chance to go wild. You can choose your ultimate dream vacation and plan it into reality, and that's exactly what this couple did. They knew that they wanted to go to Greece, and they booked everything from the flights to the hotel down to a T. However, that didn't stop this husband from having an unplanned accident while riding a scooter at 10mph.
All in all, he broke his wrist in two places, dislocated his shoulder, and got a concussion. But at least that was a honeymoon to remember - or not remember, in his case.
Insta Vs Reality
So many people plan a trip based on the attractions they want to see in a certain place, and we don't blame them. The world is full of so many amazing historical attractions that it would be a shame to miss them. But it turns out that even if you go with the intention of seeing these things, it doesn't mean that you will actually see them! They might be covered in scaffolding, instead.
At least this guy was able to find a picture on Instagram so he could at least imagine that he was seeing the real deal. It probably wasn't the same, but unfortunately these vacation fails happen.
Sprung a Leak
Is anyone else covering their eyes with their hands right now? This is our worst nightmare, especially as it happens to so many people. And while you could spend hours trying to ensure that your cosmetics and face creams are going to survive the flight, nothing is guaranteed. And this person realized that for themselves when they opened up their bag and realized that the whole thing had sprung a leak.
We can't even imagine the clean-up required to put this bag back together again. But let's just hope that there was some cream left in these bottles and tubes, at least.
Yes, That's the Liberty Bell
Hands up if you've ever seen the Liberty Bell? For many Americans and non-Americans alike, a visit to the Liberty Bell is something that's always been on their bucket list, and that's why so many people like to take photos of themselves in front of it. And while this mom wanted to take that same photo of her child and husband, it didn't quite work out the way she hoped.
Yes, this is a serious vacation fail, and yes, the Liberty Bell is there somewhere. It's just not in the shot, which is the whole point of taking a photograph!
Stop the Train
While there's no doubt about the fact that we have a real fear of getting on the wrong train, and while we do agree that this guy's experience was a true vacation fail - we can't help but think that, actually, he's the one who is wrong! Yes, he is on a bullet train, but we have a feeling that the bullet train is probably going in the exact direction it should be going.
If anything, this guy is heading in the wrong direction! but these types of things are easily done, especially when you're in a new country and you don't speak the language.
Is That Quicksand?
There's nothing quite like putting your feet in the sand and dipping your toes in the water when you're on vacation. If you plan a vacation to the beach, you need to enjoy the beach! And it seems as though these guys wanted to do just that - and we guess they didn't want their car to be left out. But everyone knows what happens when you mix a beach with a car, right?
If you didn't, this vacation fail just about sums it up. We dread to think how long they were trying to pull that car out of the sand. But it was probably a long time.
Snowed in
For many motorcycle lovers, a road trip is the ultimate dream vacation. They hope on their bikes, ride off into the sunset and plan their trip as they go. However, this guy has proven that this can be pretty stressful. And when he tried to ride from Colorado Springs to Las Vegas, he thought that riding south to avoid the snow would be a good idea. Until he then got snowed in...
Those red circles are a nightmare sight for anyone on a road trip, so let's just hope that this guy managed to find somewhere to hunker down while he waited out the snowstorm.
Putting His Foot in It
We've heard of the phrase 'putting your foot in it,' but is there another phrase for when you break your foot in Cancun on the first day of your honeymoon? If anyone knows what it is, they should send it to this person! After months of vacation planning and the hopes of a dream vacation in the back of their minds, this newlywed couple had to spend their first few hours sitting in a Mexican hospital.
From the looks of it, though, they've decided to turn their vacation fail into a vacation win. They're still able to sit on the beach and drink an endless supply of cocktails, so at least that's something.
The Missing Ingredient
We all know that you can't bake a cake without any flour, and the same can be said without electronic items and batteries. But anyone who has a drone will know just how easy it is to accidentally leave the batteries behind. And while this is fine when you've only just left the house, it's pretty annoying when you realize you've left your batteries at home when you've just traveled to another country and scaled a mountain!
Our hearts break for this person who literally traveled to that country specifically to capture drone footage! Let's hope he managed to buy some spares while he was out there.
"Hello, Is That a Mechanic? "
While planning a vacation in your car is a great way to give yourself freedom of movement, it does mean that you have to rely on your car being in working order. In most cases, that's absolutely fine. But in extreme cases, like this one, that's not fine at all! Just two days into this person's vacation and while they were around 1,000 miles away from their home, this happened to their car.
We don't know who decided they wanted to take their anger out on a stranger's car, but we have a feeling that even the best mechanic in the world couldn't fix that.
Airport Adventures
Sure, this may look like a normal photo of an airport. But this photo actually sums up one of the worst vacation fails anyone has ever experienced. That's because this photo was taken by someone who was supposed to be going on a family cruise trip before their flights got delayed three times. But to make matters even worse, their flight was then canceled - meaning they missed the cruise altogether.
And anyone who has ever been on a cruise will know that they will wait for no man. If you're not there to board on time, they're going without you!
A Smashing Time
When the British are having a good time, they often say that they're having a "smashing" time. But we can't help but think that this person wasn't having a smashing time when they finally got into their hotel room after a long flight. All they wanted to do was wash the airplane smell of them, but instead they had to deal with the smash and crash of their shower screen!
We don't know who fits the bill when something like this happens, but let's just hope that the hotel picked up the tab. It's the least they could have done.
Food for Thought
When you go on vacation, you should always be the one in charge of your own snacks. And even when someone else says that they'll take care of the snacks, pack yourself some extra just in case! These people didn't, and they soon realized that they shouldn't have put their trust in someone else. After all, they were incredibly hungry after their Half Dome Hike at Yosemite National Park, but this was all they got.
Yes, the person in charge of packing the food only packed a single sandwich bag of four charred weiners. No condiments, no bread, and certainly no fries on the side.
Let It Snow
When it comes to vacation, there's very much a debate between those who love the heat and those who love the cold. And if you're someone who loves the cold, you might plan your dream vacations around skiing or seeing beautiful landscapes in the snow. That's what this person did! After taking the photo on the left, they decided to return again in the snow to see it in all of its magical glory.
And while we bet this castle would look incredibly magical in the snow, this guy didn't manage to capture that magic on camera. Mostly because the whole area was covered in thick fog! That just really wasn't worth the long hike up to the top.