A vaginal manipulator includes a shaft, a head, and a door. The head has an anterior side opposite a posterior side and includes a core fixed to the shaft and a sleeve coupled in a sliding relationship to the core. The door has a distal end that is hinged to the sleeve and a proximal end that is movable away from the core of the head. A proximal end of the core defines a proximal end of the head and a distal end of the sleeve defines a distal end of the head, and the proximal end of the core is fixed to the shaft. The core includes a ramp and a recess that is sized to receive a portion of the door, and the door includes an inclined surface that is formed such that the distal end of the door is thinner than the proximal end of the door.