Visiting Hawaii doesn’t have to be expensive. You can easily explore Kauai, one of the most beautiful islands, for cheap!

A few years ago, I set out for a four month long solo trip to all the main Hawaiian Islands. I’m an avid budget-traveler so my goal was to see all the best places on the islands for as cheap as I could.

I did various work exchanges across the Big Island, stayed in hostels on Oahu, and did a 3 day road-trip through Maui while sleeping in the car.

When it was time to visit Kauai, I knew I had to come up with a way to stay on the island without spending thousands of dollars.

There are no hostels on Kauai, so that made it a bit harder to find cheap accommodation. However, I found a way to keep costs low and spent less than $1,000 on my 4 day trip there.

If you want to know how I did it, then keep on reading!

I want to preface this post by saying that this way of travel might not work for everyone. But I thought it would be useful to share my experience and how I traveled to Kauai for cheap. On this trip I sacrificed comfort to save money, like many of us budget-travelers do.

I hope this post inspires you and helps you start planning your own adventure to this magical place.

When to Visit Kauai

The cheapest time to visit Kauai is going to be in the off-season (January-March). This is when flights are going to be at their cheapest.

Despite it being winter, you will still be treated to sunny and warm days. You just might run into more short rain showers.

Camping for Cheap in Kauai

Accommodation is oftentimes one of the most expensive things you’ll have to pay for on your trips.

One of my favorite ways to keep my vacations budget-friendly is by camping instead of booking a hotel or Airbnb.

This can be a little challenging, but if you’re prepared and enjoy spending time outside it will be a really great experience.

One of the ways I chose to cut costs on my trip to Kauai was by car camping. That way the price of my rental car accounted for my mode of transportation and accommodation.

Tent vs. Car Camping

Camping either by tent or car is a great way to keep your trip to Kauai budget-friendly.

If you’re into backpacking and have a tent, sleeping pads, and everything else you need to tent camp, I think tent camping would be a really nice option for you here.

However, I know most people probably don’t have camping gear that they can easily take with them on the plane. So, luckily car camping is another viable option.

I chose to car camp on my trip because I didn’t have a tent or anything to camp with and it was the next best way to keep my trip on the cheaper side. So let me tell you how I did it.

Where to Car Camp in Kauai

Do note that Kauai has very strict car camping rules. It’s not like the mainland of the US where you can park off a dirt road or in a Walmart parking lot and sleep for the night.

If you try this and are found by the police, you could be subject to fines so I do not recommend trying it.

You will have to book a site at a campground that allows car camping.

I found Kumu Campground and made sure to call ahead of time to make sure they allow car camping. Luckily, they do!

Campsites at Kumu Campground go for only $25-$35 per person per night.

They allow tent and car camping at all of their sites and even offer campsites right on the beach.

Plus, this campground has an entire outdoor kitchen with a sink, propane stoves, pots and pans, and utensils.

They also offer indoor and outdoor hot showers, and (very clean) restrooms with sinks and flushing toilets.

For the price, I think all the amenities this campground comes with is totally worth it and makes camping in Kauai on a budget so much easier.

Car Camping Set Up

To car camp, you’re going to want to have some kind of SUV for it to be the most comfortable.

When I car camp I usually prefer to lay down the back seats until they lay completely flat so I can sleep on top of them.

However, that isn’t going to work in every car. If you’re lucky enough that your backseats in your rental car fold completely down, then that’s awesome. Mine, did not.

As you can see from the photo below, I set up a sleeping pad and pillow I bought from Walmart, and blanket I had with me in the trunk of my SUV for my bed. I didn’t even have to move any seats around.

It may look small, but I am a short girl who didn’t need that much room to sleep. It was actually pretty cozy and comfortable.

Another option to sleep in the car is by laying down the passenger seat all the way until it’s flat. Or just sleeping across the backseat.

So I know it’s not the most comfortable or luxurious way to stay in Kauai, but if your main concern is keeping costs down, this is a pretty decent strategy.

How to Find a Cheap Rental Car in Kauai

Even if you don’t car camp on your trip, you’re still going to want a rental car so you can explore Kauai to the fullest.

For my trip I used Turo. And I will say, this is the most expensive thing I spent money on for this trip. But it was truly the cheapest option I could find.

I decided to use Turo because it’s known for being cheaper than most rental car companies. They even have their own shuttle service in Kauai so you can easily be picked up from and dropped off at the airport for free.

You can also look at tons of pictures of the inside of the car on their app before booking which was helpful for me in picking out a rental that I could car camp in.

I ended up renting a Subaru Crosstrek for $49 a day. And it was a great vehicle for me to sleep in and drive around the island in.

It’s also possible to find rental cars on Craig’s List for cheaper, but I’m sure it isn’t as reliable as Turo. I had no luck finding a car of Craig’s List, but I know people who have.

What to Eat for Cheap in Kauai

I ended up making a lot of my own meals at the campground to save money.

On my first day in Kauai, I stopped by Walmart to get snacks and things to make easy meals with.

For breakfast I stuck to a bagel and peanut butter with a fruit cup on the side.

For dinner I ate a lot of canned soup, instant rice and beans, or pasta.

Lunch was the meal that I usually ate out at a restaurant just because I was already out doing things and didn’t want to drive all the way back to the campground to cook.

A few of my favorite restaurants I ate at are listed below:

• Leahi Heath Kauai (healthy vegan food)
• Mermaids Cafe (fresh, local cuisine offering tacos, burritos, and bowls with vegetarian options)
• Anatta’s Thai Food (Thai- inspired dishes with vegetarian options)

Cheap Things to Do in Kauai

There are plenty of inexpensive things to do in Kauai. Below I outline a few of my favorite things I did on the island. Most of which are completely free, and some having just a small fee.

Waimea Canyon & Koke’e State Park

My top recommendation for anyone visiting Kauai, is to visit two of the island’s state parks: Waimea Canyon and Koke’e.

These two parks are located just a short drive from one another on the same road.

There is an admission and parking fee to visit both of these parks. Parking is $25 and the entrance fee is $5 per person.

However, the parking and admission fee is valid for the entire day and for both parks. So once you pay to park at Waimea Canyon you won’t have to pay to park at Koke’e. You would only have to pay for admission at each.

So you definitely want to set aside a day on your trip to visit both parks at the same time because it will be cheaper and more convenient for you.

Visit Kauai’s Beaches

One of the best and cheapest ways to spend one of your days in Kauai is by spending it at the beach!! A day spent at the beach is a day never wasted.

Luckily, there are tons of great free, public beaches in Kauai. I’ll outline a couple of my favorites below:

• Tunnels Beach (best snorkeling beach in Kauai)
• Poipu Beach (good for viewing seals & sea turtles)
• Hanalei Beach
• Salt Pond Beach (good for sunset)

If you want to learn more about these beaches you can click this link where I break down each, sharing important info like how to get there, parking, etc.

Visit the Spouting Horn Blowhole

Another free attraction in Kauai is the Spouting Horn Blowhole located in Spouting Horn Park on the south shore.

If you’re not familiar with blowholes, they’re natural formations where ocean waves forcefully push water up through lava rock tunnels, shooting it high into the air like a geyser.

It’s really cool to see, and there is a nice overlook deck in the park with the perfect view so you can see the water shoot into the air.

Some of the pushes of the waves are stronger than others resulting in a taller stream of water shooting up as high as 50 feet!

Hike Sleeping Giant Mountain

If you’re looking for a great hike to do in Kauai, you won’t want to miss the Sleeping Giant Mountain Trail.

This is a moderate-level hike through a beautiful pine forest and up to the summit of Sleeping Giant Mountain.

Some mild rock scrambling is required here, but the 360° island views you get at the top, make this short 1.5 mile trek worth it.

Plus, this hike is completely free! You don’t want to pass up this trail. It’s a great budget-friendly activity in Kauai.

I hope you enjoyed this post and found some inspiration for making your trip to Kauai as cheap as possible. Thank you for reading!