Manaslu is the eighth highest mountain in the world and is located in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in the west-central part of Nepal. It is a name which means "Mountain of the Spirit", comes from the Sanskrit word Manasa, meaning "intellect" or "soul". Manaslu was first climbed on May 9, 1956, by Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu, members of a Japanese expedition. It is said that "just as the British consider Everest their mountain, Manaslu has always been a Japanese mountain".

Manaslu at 8,156 meters (26,759 ft) above means sea level (m.s.l) is the highest peak in the Lamjung District and is located about forty miles east of Annapurna. The mountain'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 kilometers (110 mi), skirts the Manaslu over the pass down to Annapurna. The Nepalese Government permitted trekking of this circuit in 1991 only. The trekking trail follows an ancient salt-trading route along the Budhi Gandaki river. En route, 10 peaks over 6,500 meters (21,300 ft) are visible, including a few over 7,000 meters (23,000 ft). The highest point along the trek route is the Larkya La at an elevation of 5,235 meters (17,175 ft). As of May 2008, the mountain has been climbed 297 times with 53 fatalities.

Manaslu Conservation Area has been established with the primary objective of achieving conservation and sustainable management of the delimited area, which includes Manaslu.