Luca is an experienced multilingual guide who loves accompanying private travelers while also collaborating with companies worldwide. For practical and time-management reasons, Luca exclusively provides guiding services and is not a tour operator or travel agency. He does not organize or book trips; instead, he guides clients through a journey already planned in advance at the client's own discretion. This framework eliminates unnecessary office fees and overhead costs, allowing full focus on providing a superior guiding experience.
So what does one do with Luca the Amico Del Solevante?
HERE's WHAT
Tours with an expert guide, food and wine itineraries, off-the-beaten-path trails, and broad artistic-cultural routes tailored to your available time and preferences. You can experience exclusive activities such as introductions to sake with authentic tastings*, Japanese calligraphy, Japanese tea tastings, traditional tea ceremonies, and much more.
Luca also provides reliable, up-to-date practical information based on trustworthy sources and deep personal experience, connecting you whenever possible with locals and their authentic customs. The guiding service means accompanying you, advising you, and revealing the true soul of each place, contributing to a unique journey.
However, to avoid any misunderstanding, the guide does not act as a personal assistant or a tour operator. Logistics, hotel bookings, luggage forwarding, and domestic transportation tickets around Japan are not provided. Clients are kindly requested to arrange these logistics independently or through a travel agency prior to arriving in Japan.
*The consumption of alcohol in Japan is prohibited for anybody under the age of 20 regardless of their nationality.
HOW
Tours with Amico del Sol Levante are primarily conducted on foot. To reach certain destinations or optimize time, the itinerary may include public or private transportation—such as taxis, buses, trains, or rental vehicles—at the guide's discretion.
WHERE AND WHEN
Guiding services are offered exclusively from Tokyo southward. For most cities, and especially for Takayama, Hida Furukawa, Shirakawa-go, and Kanazawa, the standard meeting and dismissal points are the local JR (Japan Railways) stations. If practical for the tour itinerary, hotel pick-up and drop-off can also be arranged.
For Shirakawa-go, the meeting point is strictly the Nohi Bus terminal or the designated private car/bus parking lot, as Shirakawa-go has no railway connections.
Tours run year-round, except in cases of force majeure, extreme weather conditions, unexpected commercial/public closures, national holidays, or physical health constraints. For instance, in the alpine region of Takayama, heavy winter snowfalls (historically severe up to 2018) can occasionally disrupt public and private transportation. In such rare events, travelers may face unavoidable delays while roads and rail tracks are cleared. Keeping updated via official international and Japanese authorities is highly recommended. The guide cannot be held responsible or liable under any circumstances for disruptions caused by these factors. For more information on who to contact, see the page must know.
WHY I choose to be a tour guide
I have been an avid traveler for over twenty years. I love storytelling and sharing experiences with people from every corner of the globe because I truly believe it is one of the most beautiful things in life. As a professional artist, I bring a creative and deeply curious perspective to every journey. I have a profound love for diversity, nature, history, and the subtle beauty found in all things. Ultimately, sharing what you love with others—even if only for a brief moment with someone you just met—is an extraordinary privilege.
These are just a few of the many reasons why I love dedicating my time to fellow travelers.