10 days in Scandinavia--where to go?

Copenhagen and Stockholm plus a day trip from each. You can also replace one of those cities with Oslo,

You might get some ideas from the RS suggested itinerary on this website:

https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/scandinavia-itinerary

This forum is not a free travel agency.
Best to use is to research on your own - yes, people did the same before - and come back with a proposal that can be feedbacked by others.

Very popular are the western fjords in Norway. See also some of the Norwegian scenic routes there.
Often discussed is Copenhagen, Oslo, Bergen with nature in between. Be aware that Scandinavian cities are car haters.

Denmarks North Sea beaches, South Sweden and also the Swedish archipelago are also beautiful landscapes. Far in the North above polar circle also Lofoten and Vesteralen islands as well as Senja are pearls in the Norwegian Sea.

A bit more information would not be a bad idea. How much time do you want to spend in cities and how much in the countryside? And any reason you plan to have a car?

But a 9-night trip might look something like this:

3 nights in Copenhagen
1 night in Kalmar
2 nights in Visby
3 nights in Stockholm

Or:

4 nights in Stockholm
2 nights in Oslo
1 night in Flåm/Aurland
2 nights in Bergen

But there are many more options.

If you rent the car in one country and drop if off in another, you're likely to face a really large extra charge. Scandinavia is expensive to begin with, of course (especially Norway), so maybe some extra hundreds of euros won't make much difference. I bet parking isn't cheap in the cities, either.

Consider taking a cruise up the coast of Norway from Copenhagen. The fjords are amazing.

I'm sure you've heard how expensive Scandinavia is on the ground. I assure you it is very expensive.

We found taking a cruise out of Copenhagen to be the most best way to see the region. We visited Warnemunde, Germany, Tallin Estonia, Helsinki, Stockholm, and back into Copenhagen. We did go to St. Petersburg for 2 days but it's now unavailable.

We flew on a budget airline over to Oslo and took the Norway in a Nutshell train trip to a high speed hydro in the fjords and ended in Bergen, Norway.

The cruise is by far the easiest and most economical way to visit Scandanavia. And by the way, the region is a June to the first of September locale as weather changes early that far north.

David, Scandinavia is huge and you have seen only few parts.
Especially southern Scnadinavia has much longer travel times, more Easter to October; rest is off-season. Even in North Norway the winter temps can be warmer than in central Europe due to Gulf stream.

And with a cruise you will never see some perspectives you have while driving with a car - vice versa. Example: the fjells in Fjord Norway and most of the spectacular waterfalls - and please do not mention the poor Seven Sisters.

I like the idea of not having to pack up and change hotels, but the concept of having only one day--not even 24 hours--in cities like Bergen, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Tallinn and Riga is extremely unappealing. I'd find it wildly frustrating.

Lisa, I am a bit late to answer but I am an "off the beaten path" type of person so I don't know if you will like my suggestion.
First, someone mentioned Scandinavia is expensive. The Swedish crown is weak against the dollar so you'll get more bang for the buck here in Sweden than Denmark or Norway. But that may not be a consideration for you.

My suggestion is to fly into Copenhagen. Do or see whatever suits you there for maybe 3 full days. Cross over to Malmö. Rent a car and explore the southern part of Sweden called Skåne. Drive to Ystad, made famous by Henning Mankell's Wallander character. From Ystad drive to Kåsberga to see Ales stenar from the Viking era. They are out in a field on a cliff. Park in tiny Kåseberga harbor. Continue east to Sandhammaren nature reserve. Further up the east coast is Österlen, a hidden gem. This is a beautiful area where you probably won't encounter mass tourism. Further up the coast is Kivik, an area of apple orchards and Kiviks Musteri, which produces cider and juices. You can head on up to Kalmar, leave you car, stay a night and then take a train to Stockholm. Spend several days in Stockholm. The Vasa Museum is incredible. Old Town is cool and Stockholm is gorgeous in the summer. There are trips to the archipelago (stromma.com) or you can take the ferries that are part of the public transportation system (sl.se). Take a train (sj.se) back to Copenhagen through Lund, which is a well-known university town. There is an open air museum of Swedish houses from different centuries. Lund's Cathedral is almost 900 years old and has a huge very interesting clock with the zodiac on it. Quite impressive.
From Lund, take the train back to Copenhagen.

Okay, that's just one possibilities of many.
Good luck with your planning.

Ale stenar have nothing to do with the Vikings, they are from the Vendel period.

Hi there, for most of the suggested places others have mentioned, not only don't you need a car, but it would be a burden. Given the short visit of 8-10 days (not sure if this included arrival and departure days?) I would think a multi-leg trip, arriving in Copenhagen with a stop over along the way perhaps to Visby on Gottland, & then Stockholm would fit your criteria. Or vice versa. We rented a car in Visby to easily tour the island, it has a lot to offer. Otherwise you wouldn't need a car, unless you followed one of the other itineraries. I was just thinking about how relatively inexpensive Swedish meals can be while enjoying a delicious hot fish, mashed potatoes & salad lunch with good coffee the other day in Uppsala for $13. (Monday-Friday hot lunch specials.)

(PS, OR Oslo with a Norway in a Nutshell tour via Flåm to Bergen, back either by train to Oslo or fly from Bergen. There's a lot to see in Oslo as well, unfortunately the Viking ship museum is closed until 2027, but the Norsk
Folkemuseum (Norwegian Folk Museum) is delightful. And OMG the Oslo Opera House is amazing. You could easily spend your entire trip in Norway, but it is more expensive.)