Where Petra and Wadi Rum Only Scratch the Surface…

Building on his successful Un-Tour To Myanmar, adventurer and photographer Dustin Main leads unique small group tours to Jordan for those interested in the evolving stories and culture of this fascinating country.

Over thousands of years of history, countless empires have risen and fallen here. Not only that, some of the world’s most famous stories feature these lands, from the bible to Lawrence of Arabia.

For the past 9 years, I've come back again and again to Jordan. The food, the sights, and the stories of the people keep calling me back.  A place with cool nights and warm people, amazing views, and a million little surprises.  It's a place with some of the world’s most complicated neighbors, and one that holds a unique balance between traditions of the past and the future of the region.

...and now is the time to see it for yourself.

Un-Tour To Jordan
13 Days, 12 Nights

Ancient Ruins, Community Impact, & Photography

Donning your own Indian Jones hat (not included) and discovering the ruins of the city of Petra. Watching the sun set over a martian landscape before enjoying a meal cooked 6 feet underground. Picking olives with a local family, and seeing how olive oil is made in the village. Hearing stories from passionate community members and local organizers about how they’re both preserving the past and shifting the future of both their families and their country.

That's a small taste of what you're in for.

This isn't your typical tour.  We won't be crowding onto a bus after being provided 18 1/2 minutes to peruse an ancient Roman ruin, just to take a photo for proof you were there. Instead, we'll be bringing together the best of a small group tour (we have a maximum of 10 guests), with the spirit and excitement of independent travel.

We'll be wrapping ourselves in the culture, with hand-picked guides and contacts who will take us to those secret places unknown to most tourists and groups.  If an amazing opportunity comes up, we'll have the freedom to take it. We won't be rushed because we're not following a checklist, because you can't plan when serendipity will shine your way.  Instead you'll be able to really get a feel for the country both with our guidance, and with the time and freedom to go exploring on your own.

We'll still be hitting a few of the "main attractions" that this country is known for, and don't get me wrong, they are spectacular.  But it's the hidden photography spots, unique experiences, and the people that we meet along the way that will make this trip one to remember.

So, join my local team of guides and I as we take you on an unforgettable journey to experience the majesty of Jordan.

 Meet Your Photographic Guides

Dustin Main

Dustin is a documentary photographer based in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Dustin has been photographing around the globe for 15 years, living in 6 countries along the way.

He has led photography workshops in a host of unique locations since 2014, from ancient temples in the Bagan plains of Myanmar, to abandoned buildings in Chernobyl, and many more. Driven by a curiosity for life and the people who make it up, it’s no wonder he veers toward the road less travelled.

Dustin’s long-term documentary project, “This Myanmar Life” has had several gallery showings, with a book currently in development.

Kathryn Cooper

Kathryn Cooper is a freelance event, non-profit, and travel photojournalist based in New York, USA.

Her photography has led to working across 55 countries and living on several different continents. From documenting chefs for the Food Network, to documenting refugees in Nepal, to photographing the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball Drop, she takes each opportunity as a unique story to tell.

She loves adventure - the more odd the situation, the better the story.

Kathryn and Dustin have traveled and photographed in 4 countries together, hunting the light with a camera in one hand, and street food in the other. (Note that if you have a camera strap, you can have street food in one hand, and ice cream in the other).

Kathryn Cooper is a special guest photographic guide on the November 8th - 20th, 2022 departure of the Un-Tour to Jordan.

Here are some words from previous guests about their experience on my tours:

Why take a tour with me?

Traveling independently in Jordan can be great if you have the time and the patience to research and plan, but decoding the beautiful puzzle of this country takes time... time that most just don't have to unlock the secrets.

I've spent the time to get under the skin of this place to find out just how it ticks.  It's my passion.

I want you to experience the Jordan that I know and love.  The one where we don't just watch from afar, but we learn and participate (if you like) to deepen your understanding of this land.  We'll do that by picking up a bit of the local language, devouring the local delicacies, and hearing the stories of the country from the Jordanian people themselves.  

The tour is purposefully small, with a maximum of 10 people.  In addition to myself, we'll have my team of Jordanian guides, researchers and contacts at our disposal.  This means that questions get answered, different perspectives shared, and the opportunity to split off into even smaller groups instead of crowding around like most tours.

Totally photogenic.  I've been photographing around the world for the past 13 years, including five trips to Jordan in the past eight.  My work has been displayed in print and in galleries, and licensed commercially around the world. I know plenty of great spots, so don't forget your camera.  This isn't a typical "photo tour," but photographer or not, I'm confident that you'll come home with some of the best photos from a trip you have ever had.

Local, local, local.  We have a strong focus on community and social projects for our adventure together. We'll be staying in a host of hand-picked locations, including family-run B&B’s, homestays, and even goat-hair tents while camping in the desert.  We'll be eating in local spots that make fresh, delicious food that has my mouth watering as I type this. We’ll be learning about and supporting social enterprises to help leave a lasting impact beyond our time here.  And we'll be meeting the local people, community organizers, and even some home cooked meals. So when you leave the country, you won't have just "seen" but you will understand what makes this place so amazing.

I LOVE food.  Any follower of mine knows how important food is in my life.  I absolutely love Jordanian food, and I'm sure you will too... and we'll dive deep into traditional cuisine including some home-cooked and cooked-in-the-ground camp dinners.  We’ll cover it all, so make sure you have an extra notch available in your belt.

We know how to plan Jordan right.  While most visitors to this land only experience Petra, we'll be extending our time allowing us to go deeper into some extra special locations.

 Join the Un-Tour to Jordan

No Current Departures

Secure and easy payment via all major credit cards (Stripe).
(Canadians wishing to pay in CAD by Interac e-transfer, contact me)

It's time to tell your boss you'll be off this autumn on a journey to magnificent Jordan..

Our Itinerary

Day 1  Amman

We’ll gather our crew together for a dinner to start off our time together right with our first taste of the local cuisine.

Day 2 Amman

We’ll spend the day with a local storyteller and community organizer, giving us and on-the-ground update on what street art means to the city, and the Palestinian connection to Jordan. Along the way, we’ll sample delicious eats before photographing the city from the Citadel at sundown. In the evening, we’ll have a chance to sample delicious Syrian ice cream.

Day 3 Umm Qais

Umm Qais, the ancient city of Gadara, was one of the cities of the Roman decapolis. The black basalt ruins are perched atop a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee. After exploring the ruins with our guide who literally grew up playing on them as a child, we’ll relax and take in the views of three countries from our vantage point- Israel, Syria & the Jordan Valley. Tonight we will be hosted for dinner by a Syrian family who came here to escape the fighting in their country, and overnight at a charming B&B set in the hills.

Day 4 Orjan

This morning we’ll join a passionate local beekeeper to learn about his trade, and try our hand at harvesting honey, protective gear is included! 

Heading North, we’ll visit the impressive ruins of Jerash, once one of the largest Roman cities in the Middle East. There, we’ll visit the hippodrome which hosted ancient chariot races before heading to the cooler hills and our homestay.

We will feel like one of the family as we prepare dinner alongside a local Jordanian family and enjoy a home cooked meal before spending the night at their homestay.

Day 5 Orjan 

We’ll spend the day with our host family in Orjan, experiencing Jordanian village life and hospitality up close and personal. Our host Abu Mahmoud will take us to the nature reserve for a walk along a section of the Jordan Trail, a recent community project creating hiking trails along the entire length of the country. It’s olive harvest season, and we’ll dive right in, from picking the olives, to taking them to the local olive oil factory to see how it turns into that delicious liquid we love.

Day 6  Dana Biosphere Reserve

After a beautiful drive this morning we’ll reach the Dana Biosphere Reserve. After dinner, we’ll watch the stars from the roof.

Day 7  Petra

We’ll take the winding back road through the valley to head to Petra, getting our first taste of this UNESCO World Heritage Site by watching the golden sunset in nearby Little Petra before packing in early for a big day tomorrow.

Day 8 Petra

No doubt, Petra is incredible. After breakfast, ​we’ll find our way to a quiet back entrance to the site, before continuing down a goat-herders path through a canyon to Petra's Monastery. Once you reach the summit, you will have the rest of the day to explore Petra on your own.

Day 9 Petra

This morning we’ll enter the early in the morning via the Siq, the famous canyon that opens up to the iconic Treasury before exploring the site from high atop the cliffs for a different side of the site. We’ll be joined by a researcher who studies are showing Petra’s past in an entirely different light.

Day 10 Wadi Rum

We’re heading south to the stark landscape of Wadi Rum.  We’ll hop aboard jeeps piloted by our local Bedouin guides through the vast sands of the nature reserve. We'll scramble up sandstone boulders and take in a silent, otherworldly sunset. We’ll stay overnight at a Bedouin camp in the desert within the nature reserve and under a sea of stars.

Day 11 Wadi Rum  

Another chance to fully take in the awe-inspiring scenery. We’ll tackle a hikes that will reward us with a gorgeous birds-eye view of the desert before capturing the shades of the desert as the light changes through the day.

Day 12 Dead Sea

Afterwards we transfer North to the Dead Sea to spend the afternoon floating in the remarkable waters, and photographing the odd landscape and salt here. We’ll wrap things up with a final dinner and reminisce about our adventures together.

Day 13 Depart 

Spend the morning saying goodbye and relaxing at the hotel before heading off to the airport.

More Details

What if I still have some unanswered questions?

Get in touch! Contact me via email. Alternatively we can hop on the phone and chat (in fact, I encourage it).

Drop me a line for my phone number or my skype and we’ll chat over some virtual tea.