Polish tourist falls into Venice canal while following Google Maps, video goes viral

An Instagram video of a Polish tourist taking an unexpected tumble into a Venice canal has gone viral, once again sparking debate about the reliability of Google Maps in the Italian city.

The video with 19.1 million views shows Wiktoria Guzenda walking down a flight of steps while glued to her phone, before suddenly losing balance and plunging into the canal. The video later shows her with a scraped leg after the mishap.

“When Google Maps says ‘go straight’ but you’re in Venice,” read the text overlay on the video, which left many social media users in splits. While some poked fun at the incident, others were quick to point out that the mapping service often misguides tourists in Venice’s maze-like lanes.

A user wrote, “Quick question: what were you thinking?”

Another user wrote, “It’s like that episode of The Office when they try the GPS and end up driving into a pond.”

The third user asked, “Did she think she was about to walk on the water?”

“Y'all she was trying to make a joke about how Maps directed her into the canal and slipped. That's it,” explained the fourth.

The fifth user asked, “Why do kids these days purposely hurt each other for views??”

Watch the viral video here:

Why Google Maps doesn’t work well in Venice

Travel experts have long cautioned that Google Maps is not the most reliable tool for navigating Venice. The city is divided into six sestieri (districts) with unusual street numbering, making it notoriously tricky even for seasoned travellers.

Adding to the confusion are Venice’s unique features: dead ends blocked by canals, narrow alleys disguised as streets, and bridges that don’t connect where maps suggest they should. On top of that, fluctuating water levels can suddenly make certain routes impassable — something digital maps rarely account for.

“Google Maps frequently directs tourists to routes that simply don’t exist or are blocked by canals. Many visitors find themselves standing at the edge of the water with no bridge, exactly where Google Maps said they should turn,” Tour Leader Venice explained.

As a result, several travel websites recommend using traditional paper maps, local tour guides or navigation apps designed specifically for Venice.

Not the first time Google Maps has led tourists astray

This isn’t an isolated incident. Earlier this year, a traveller from Buxar to Delhi shared a harrowing account of nearly getting stranded after blindly following Google Maps.

In December 2024, three friends travelling to a wedding in Pilibhit had a narrow escape when their car plunged 15 feet into the dry bed of Kalapura Canal near Bareilly. The driver, misled by Google Maps, drove onto an unsafe canal track. The car toppled after hitting a broken bridge, but, fortunately, all passengers survived with minor injuries. Local residents and police later helped pull the vehicle out using a JCB machine.

From misdirecting drivers into canals in India to leading tourists astray in Venice, the latest viral video is yet another reminder that while technology can guide, it’s not always foolproof. Sometimes, old-fashioned navigation tools might just be the safer bet.