If you want a purely visual experience (which I recommend), a dobsonian telescope has the best capability VS price ratio. The collapsible 150mm dobsons are alre

If you want a purely visual experience (which I recommend), a dobsonian telescope has the best capability VS price ratio. The collapsible 150mm dobsons are already very powerful and quite compact. Avoid anything on a tripod under 500$, you'd be paying the "looks like a telescope" tax and have something deceptive.