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Article created by: Audrius P.

Take a vacation, they said, it will be fun, they said. Except if it’s not. Because the truth is, no matter what the pitch-perfect shots on social media show, what the travel blogs tell you, what the summer getaway packages promise you, no one is safe from their holiday going from ripe to sour in no time.

The same goes with holiday pictures. It’s no secret that part of the motive to travel is driven by a wish to have great photos. Something to put on your Facebook page, something to share on Instagram, something to show off to your friends and colleagues, because humans are vain and it doesn’t take a whole lot to feel good.

This post is a safe place to talk about hard things. So if you've ever seen your dream holiday pictures crashing down like a sand castle, know that you’re far from the only one. We have all looked like lost potatoheads and sunburnt crabs, been photobombed or betrayed by weather at some point of our vacation.

So Bored Panda has compiled this list of travel photo fails to soothe our holiday-hungry souls and remind us that we can always take our fedora and go on yet another trip to collect not just good, but the very best pics. Psst! More vacation photo fails can be found in our previous feature right here.

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

Tried To Take A Panoramic Picture Of The Eiffel Tower Today, It Went Surprisingly Well

Eiffel Tower photo taken with a distorted perspective making the landmark appear bent, a terrible travel photo example.

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    #2

    Thanks Tour Guide For Taking Such A Great Photo Of Everyone

    Man giving thumbs up in sharp focus while group of people in water and cave background appear blurry in travel photo fail.

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    #3

    Going To Cristo And Taking A 3D Photo Is Priceless

    Couple taking a travel photo at a popular landmark with a man perfectly aligned to look like a statue behind them.

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    #4

    It's All About The Journey Though Right?

    Travel photo showing a woman gesturing toward a foggy view, illustrating a travel photo that turned out terrible.

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    #5

    My Sister Rented A Flat Here In North Of Iceland For Christmas, This Is Her View

    Travel photo showing windows and door completely covered by heavy snow, illustrating a terrible travel moment indoors.

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    #6

    Visited The Grand Canyon. Pictures Don't Do It Justice

    Person in black jacket poses on railing with vast empty sky above, a travel photo that turned out terrible at Grand Canyon.

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    #7

    Me, Outside The Duomo In Milan, Getting Photobombed. By A Pigeon

    Blurred pigeon flying across a travel photo of a person standing in front of a historic cathedral, capturing a terrible travel moment.

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    #8

    Trying To Explain To The 70-Year-Old Swiss Man Who Offered To Take Our Pic That His Finger Was Covering The Lens

    Two travelers posing with mountainous background and finger blocking part of the travel photo outdoors on a sunny day

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    #9

    Not Mount Rushmore, But I Woke Up At 3AM And Hiked Up Machu Picchu To Be There At Sunrise

    Close-up of a llama with a foggy, rocky background, an example of travel photos that turned out terrible.

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    #10

    Went To Go See The Golden Gate Bridge

    Foggy travel photo of a partially visible bridge tower disappearing in thick clouds, showcasing a terrible travel photo moment.

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    #11

    We Hiked 3 Hours To Get A Good Picture Of Our Hometown. Our City Is On The Left

    Mountain travel photo partially obscured by thick fog with clear sky and distant peaks in the background.

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    #12

    This Guy Having A Selfie With Mona Lisa

    Man wearing glasses and headphones taking a blurry travel photo selfie with a person waving in the background indoors.

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    #13

    The “Waterfall” My Family Drove Two Hours To See

    Eroded rock formation with uneven ground below, illustrating one of the travel photos that turned out terrible.

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    #14

    Expectation vs. Reality. London Edition

    Tourists posing at Big Ben before and during renovation showing travel photos that turned out terrible.

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    #15

    Go To The Taj Mahal At Sunrise, They Said. It'll Be Beautiful, They Said

    Man posing with a foggy and barely visible monument in background, a travel photo that turned out terrible.

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    #16

    Bought These Binoculars Specifically To Go To The Grand Canyon Today

    Person in winter clothes holding binoculars outdoors in a snowy travel photo that turned out terrible.

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    #17

    I've Noticed This Guy Just Now, A Few Days After I Took The Photo And This Photo Will Be In My Tourist Association Book

    Hiker posing by a signpost in the mountains with a man awkwardly sitting in the background in a travel photo fail.

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    #18

    Climbed North Europa's Tallest Mountain At 8100 Feet, And Got This Picture

    Travel photo with severe digital distortion and glitch effects obscuring the landscape details and colors.

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    #19

    My Wife At The Top Of The Sears/Willis Tower On A Foggy Day

    Person standing on a glass balcony with reflections on building windows in a travel photo that turned out terrible.

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    #20

    A Nice Asian Family Asked My Son To Take A Picture Of Them. He Didn't Understand

    Group of people posing and walking on a wet road during a travel trip with rocky landscape in the background, travel photo fail.

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    #21

    Waited Forever For The Crowd To Dissipate To Take A Picture, Then This Happened

    Man photobombs travel photo at ancient ruins holding a broom, causing a terrible travel photo moment with tourists in the background.

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    #22

    Guy Took Week Off Of Work To Climb Mountain Kilimanjaro And Raise Money For Charity. This Is The Picture His Guide Took At The Summit Before The Phone Died

    Partially obscured travel photo with a person standing on rocky terrain under a bright blue sky.

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    #23

    I (Left) Was Excited To See The Tip Of Africa From Gibraltar But - Fog. Still The Closest I’ve Ever Been

    Two women wearing sunglasses smiling on rocky hiking trail with ocean and town in background in travel photos fail.

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    #24

    The Only Photo I Have Of Myself On My Camera From My Only Overseas Trip

    Blurry travel photo of a person standing between large columns under a clear sky, showing a terrible travel photo moment.

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    #25

    Tried To Grab A Quick Photo While Driving Past The Washington Monument

    Blurry travel photo of a monument behind a leaning streetlight and group of people on a sunny day.

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    #26

    Went On A Hike Today Which Promised Stunning Views. My Pic Is On The Bottom

    Person standing on rocky hilltop with scenic view above and cloudy sky in travel photos that turned out terrible.

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    #27

    I Traveled From UK All The Way To Germany To Take Photos Of The Devil’s Eye, But When I Got There

    Stone arch bridge with reflection in water versus dry ground below, illustrating travel photos turning out terrible.

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    #28

    This Is My Wife And I At The Highest Point On Skyline Drive, Overlooking The Majestic Shenandoah Valley

    Couple smiling in a foggy outdoor setting, a travel photo that turned out terrible with unclear background and low visibility.

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    #29

    On Our Honeymoon In Hallstatt Austria

    Snow-covered village travel photo comparison with a man posing in poor weather, highlighting terrible travel photos shared by people.

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    #30

    Missus Taking A Photo Of Me With A Llama vs. Me Taking A Photo Of Her. When The Llama's Rear Becomes Your New Hairstyle

    Two travel photos with llamas near mountainous terrain, showing awkward and humorous moments that turned out terrible.

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    #31

    I See Your Scenic Photos Ruined By The Weather And Present The Time I Fulfilled A Life Long Dream To Visit The Taj Mahal

    Man taking travel photo at a foggy and unclear historical monument, illustrating terrible travel photos shared by people.

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    #32

    Travelled Nearly 300 Miles To The Northernmost Point Of Vietnam So I Could See China - This Was The View

    Man posing near railing under a large red flag in a foggy setting, a travel photo that turned out terrible.

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    #33

    Told My Girlfriend To Use The Last Piece Of Film We Had With Us To Get A Picture Of Me In Front Of Some Mountains

    Person sitting outdoors in a mountainous area with a travel photo obscured by a finger, illustrating terrible travel photos.

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    #34

    Travelled 10,000 Km To See The Total Solar Eclipse In Chile. Heavy Rain And Low Clouds Blocked The Entire Show

    Man wearing sunglasses and backpack on a beach with a black dog, part of travel photos that turned out terrible shared online.

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    #35

    What I Expected To See At Preikestolen vs. What I Got

    Two side-by-side travel photos showing a crowded scenic rock and a lone person on a foggy rock, illustrating terrible travel photos.

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    #36

    Took My Buddy To The Grand Canyon For The First Time Today. Spectacular Views All Around

    Person wearing winter clothes posing on snowy lookout with foggy background in a travel photo gone terrible.

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    #37

    It Was Always A Personal Dream To Be Able To Go And Visit This Remarkable Oak Tree In The Shawshank Redemption

    Two people taking travel photos outdoors in grassy fields with trees, showcasing travel photos that turned out terrible.

    Turns out that people after the film released took away all those stones from the little wall that led to the tree away to their homes and lately in 2016 the tree fell in a thunderstorm.

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    #38

    Expectation vs. Reality. Travel Edition

    Two images showing unusual water scenes, one with a person in red water and another with a muddy travel photo shot outdoors.

    First picture is me at the Mar Rosado En Galerazamba 2 years ago. The next pic is what it looks like in 2021. The final picture is me looking embarrassed because I hyped this place up to my friends, and it was beyond disappointing.
     

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    #39

    Unfortunately These Images Are Not An April Fools Joke. This Really Was Our View After Hiking The Famous Preikestolen. We Had To Rely On Google Images To See The View

    Silhouetted person holding umbrella in heavy fog on rocky terrain, an example of terrible travel photo shared online.

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    #40

    On Top Of A Volcano, Waiting For The Sunrise To Materialize. Thanks To The Clouds, This Was The Best View We Saw

    Group of people taking travel photos of a cloudy purple sky with backlighting, capturing a moment that turned out terrible.

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    #41

    Wait What?

    Young man posing in front of the Louvre Pyramid in a travel photo that turned out terrible and awkwardly timed.

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    #42

    Travelled To London To Go On The London Eye

    Travel photos from the London Eye with foggy views and disappointed expressions showing travel photos that turned out terrible.

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    #43

    Finally Able To Travel To Paris And The Arch De Triumph Looks Like This. It's An "Art" Project

    Paris landmark covered in fabric during renovation, with tourists and busy traffic capturing a travel photo fail moment.

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    #44

    Expectation vs. Reality. At Least It Was Just A Four-Hour Hike

    Two travel photos showing a cliff with people, one clear and one obscured by fog, illustrating travel photos turned terrible.

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    #45

    My Parents Got To Visit Mt. Rushmore Today For The First Time. The View Is Spectacular

    A couple posing at a viewpoint with a foggy background ruining their travel photo capturing the scenery.

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    #46

    Flew To Kauai To View The Na Pali Coast

    Woman in casual clothes posing on a foggy hiking trail with trees barely visible in the background travel photo fail.

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    #47

    Flew 13 Hours To Hawaii To See Volcanoes National Park

    Man in outdoor gear smiling and posing on a foggy hiking trail, an example of terrible travel photos shared online.

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    #48

    My View From The Top Of Mount Machu Picchu vs. What The View Could Have Been

    Top image of a foggy mountain peak with poor visibility, and bottom image of a clear scenic travel view with lush green hills.




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