Other Activities

More ways to unwind in Qum — paintball, laser tag, the bird park, the mountain coaster, bowling and kart racing.

Beyond sports and parks, there’s plenty more for students and their families to enjoy in Qum.

Paintball

A team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents by hitting them with paint-filled capsules that break on impact. Game types vary — capture the flag, elimination, defending or attacking a point, or capturing hidden objects. Qum has two outdoor paintball arenas, in Pardisan and in Alavi Park. Prices start from around $2 per person, including equipment, protective gear and a limited number of paintballs (more can be bought at extra cost).

Laser tag

Another shooting sport, where players use infrared light guns and wear signalling devices to tag targets and register hits. Qum’s only laser-tag arena is in the Noor Cultural Institute. Prices start around $2 per person, including 10 minutes of training, equipment, 20 lives, a 300-shot limit and two 20-minute rounds. Four to eight people can play at once, including families (both men and women) on the condition that they are all mahram to each other.

Bird park

The Qum Bird Park — the second largest in Iran — is a vast, picturesque area with a variety of birds in natural and enclosed tropical settings. You can see free-roaming peacocks, ostriches and other birds amid scenic ponds and greenery, making it great for nature walks and photography. A tropical greenhouse showcases diverse plants and tropical birds, with separate enclosures for parrots and other exotic species. Due to Qum’s variable weather, the number of birds on display can vary by season.

Mountain coaster

At the far end of Alavi Park, this coaster’s track is built into a hillside, letting gravity pull riders down and around the bends. You sit in bobsled-like cars and — unlike a traditional roller coaster — control your own speed. The 943-metre toboggan ride opened in 2015, built with the German company Wiegand, and offers great views of the park and the whole city. For safety it’s not suitable for children under three, and those between three and eight must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets are around $1 per person, or $1.50 for an adult and child sharing a car.

Bowling

A fun indoor group activity. Based in the family-friendly Rangeen Koman complex, this bowling alley has six lanes with balls of various sizes and weights for all players. Up to four can play per lane, hired for about $4 for half an hour or $8 for a full hour.

Kart racing

An exciting, competitive activity: driving small, open-wheel karts around a track. They’re simple enough that both adults and children over eight can take part. Qum has two karting tracks, at Ghadeer Park and Rangeen Koman.