Manaslu (/məˈnɑːsluː/; Nepali: मनास्लु, also known as Kutang) is the eighth-highest mountain in the world at 8,163 metres (26,781 ft) above sea level. It is in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in west-central Nepal. Manaslu means "mountain of the spirit" and the word is derived from the Sanskrit word manasa, meaning "intellect" or "soul". Manaslu was first climbed on May 9, 1956, by Toshio Imanishi [ja] and Gyalzen Norbu, members of a Japanese expedition. It is said that, given the many unsuccessful attempts by the British to climb Everest before Nepali Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary, "just as the British consider Everest their mountain, Manaslu has always been a Japanese mountain".

Manaslu is the highest peak in the Gorkha District and is about 64 km (40 mi) east of Annapurna, the tenth highest mountain in the world at 8,091 metres (26,545 ft) above sea level. Manaslu's long ridges and valley glaciers offer feasible approaches from all directions and culminate in a peak that towers steeply above its surrounding landscape and is a dominant feature when viewed from afar.

The Manaslu region offers a variety of trekking options. The popular Manaslu trekking route of 177 kilometres (110 mi) skirts the Manaslu massif over the pass down to Annapurna. The Nepalese Government only permitted trekking on this circuit in 1991. The trekking trail follows an ancient salt-trading route along the Budhi Gandaki River. En route, 10 peaks over 6,500 metres (21,325 ft) are visible, including a few over 7,000 metres (22,966 ft). The highest point reached along the trek route is Larkya La at an elevation of 5,106 metres (16,752 ft). As of May 2008, the mountain has been climbed 297 times with 53 fatalities.^{[needs update]}

The Manaslu Conservation Area Project (MCAP) was established in 1997 with the primary objective of achieving conservation and sustainable management of the delimited area, which also includes Manaslu.

Set in the northern Himalayan range in the Gorkha District of Nepal, Manaslu is a serrated "wall of snow and ice hanging in the sky". The three sides of the mountain fall in steps to terraces down below, which are sparsely inhabited with agricultural operations practiced on the land. Apart from climbing Manaslu, trekking is popular in this mountain region, as part of the Manaslu Circuit, a notable path for trekkers in Nepal.

The Manaslu Conservation Area, declared as such in December 1998 under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, subsumes Manaslu within it. The area covered under the conservation zone is 1,663 square kilometres (642 mi²) and is managed by the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) of Nepal. The status of "conservation area" applied to the Manaslu area or region was with the basic objective of "To conserve and sustainably manage the natural resources and rich cultural heritage and to promote ecotourism to improve livelihood of the local people in the MCA region."

Manaslu Himal, as it is popularly known among trekkers, offers views of the snow-capped Himalayan mountains and provides an opportunity for interaction with the diverse ethnic groups that inhabit the hill villages scattered along the trek route.

The trekking route is through mountainous terrain prone to the consequences of monsoon rainfall, landslides, and landfalls. Hypothermia and altitude sickness, as well as encounters with passing yaks, are common. Trekking to Manaslu is thus a test of endurance.