September is an awkward-but-perfect travel month: the rains are still hanging around, the hills are lush, and the festive-season crowds haven’t arrived, and prices haven’t risen yet. That means if you’ve been waiting for an excuse to escape Delhi for a weekend, this is it.And no, you don’t need a luxury resort or a ₹15,000 travel budget. With ₹6,000 per person, there are plenty of places where you can eat well, explore, stay comfortably, and still make it back to Delhi before Monday morning. Here are some trips worth bookmarking for September.If your idea of a break is waking up to hills instead of Delhi traffic, Rishikesh is an easy choice.The town offers you a little bit of everything: the Ganga, mountain views, cafés, temples, yoga centres and enough adventure activities to make the weekend feel considerably more exciting than your average Saturday-Sunday.Spend an afternoon wandering around Tapovan, sit by the river, visit the ghats and catch the evening Ganga Aarti. If you’re looking for adventure, river rafting is another popular option, although September conditions and the availability of activities should be checked locally before booking.From Delhi, buses and trains keep the journey relatively affordable. Stay in a hostel, guesthouse or budget hotel and eat at local cafés and eateries, and a 1-night/2-day trip can be planned within ₹6,000 per person.September’s lingering monsoon also means the surrounding landscape can be particularly green.Story continues below this ad2. Jaipur: For a royal weekend on a non-royal budgetWant your weekend to feel a little more glamorous without your bank account suffering for it? Jaipur should do the trick.The Pink City packs forts, palaces, colourful markets and excellent food into a destination that’s easily accessible from Delhi.Start with Hawa Mahal, explore Amber Fort and City Palace, walk through the old city’s markets and leave some room in the itinerary for a proper Rajasthani meal. You could easily spend hours browsing the bazaars, especially if colourful textiles, jewellery and handicrafts are your weakness.September can still bring warm weather and occasional rain, so outdoor sightseeing is best planned around the day’s conditions.Story continues below this adTake a train or bus rather than a private cab, stay somewhere inexpensive and eat at local establishments, and ₹6,000 per person can cover a packed weekend without requiring too many compromises.3. Agra: Because a weekend doesn’t always need a long journeySometimes the best getaway is the one where you don’t spend half the weekend travelling.Agra is close enough to Delhi for a quick escape and particularly convenient by train. Naturally, the Taj Mahal is the star attraction, but there is enough beyond it to fill a relaxed weekend.Visit the Taj early, explore Agra Fort, head to Mehtab Bagh for another view of the monument and spend some time wandering through the city’s markets.Story continues below this adAnd then there is the food. Petha and Mughlai cuisine deserve their own space in the itinerary.Because transport between Delhi and Agra can be kept inexpensive and there are plenty of budget stays, a 1-night/2-day Agra trip can comfortably fit under ₹6,000 per person.You may even come back with enough money left for another box of petha. Whether that’s good news depends on your self-control.4. Lansdowne: For when you want to disappear into the hillsIf what you’re really craving is silence, Lansdowne might be more your speed.Story continues below this adUnlike hill stations where the weekend itinerary quickly becomes a list of crowded cafés and viewpoints, Lansdowne is quieter and slower. The cantonment town is surrounded by pine forests and hills, making it a good place to simply walk around, breathe some relatively cleaner air and do very little.You can visit Bhulla Lake, head to Tip N Top for the views, explore the town and find a cosy spot for chai.September can leave the landscape beautifully green after the monsoon, although rain is still possible, so carry a rain jacket and shoes that can handle wet roads.With affordable transport from Delhi and a simple guesthouse or budget hotel, a 1-night/2-day trip can be kept within ₹6,000 per person.Story continues below this adSometimes the most luxurious thing a weekend can offer is not having anywhere you need to be.Also Read | From 45°C to 15°C: The ultimate Delhi escape guide to the hills5. Alwar: Rajasthan without the Jaipur crowdsIf Jaipur feels too obvious, look a little closer at Alwar.The Rajasthan city makes for a surprisingly easy weekend from Delhi, with forts, palaces, lakes and plenty of history packed into a relatively compact trip.Explore Bala Quila, visit the City Palace and head towards Siliserh Lake. If you want to add wildlife to the weekend, Sariska is also nearby, although a safari will need to be factored separately into the budget.Story continues below this adSeptember’s post-monsoon greenery can make the landscape particularly pleasant, though weather and seasonal activity timings should be checked before travelling.The short distance from Delhi helps keep transport costs down, while budget accommodation and local food leave plenty of room within a ₹6,000-per-person budget.It’s also the sort of destination that gives you enough to explore without making you feel like you need to complete a 17-point itinerary before Sunday evening.6. Mathura-Vrindavan: A quick cultural escapeFor a weekend that is easy on both time and money, combine Mathura and Vrindavan.Story continues below this adThe two towns are close enough to cover together, giving you temples, ghats, local food and a very different atmosphere from Delhi without requiring a complicated travel plan.In Mathura, you can visit Krishna Janmabhoomi and explore the city’s older neighbourhoods. In Vrindavan, spend time visiting its temples and head to Prem Mandir in the evening.The biggest advantage is that the trip doesn’t demand a huge travel budget. Take a train or bus, stay somewhere simple and use local transport, and you can comfortably keep the weekend well below ₹6,000 per person.And because the journey is relatively short, you can spend more of your actual weekend exploring rather than sitting in traffic wondering why you decided to take a holiday.