I personally don't think Beijing and Shanghai are ideal places for self guided tours. It's a lot more fun to travel with a tour group and the tours are very affordable in Canadian standards. There are a lot of scammers that you can avoid by being with a tour (although some tours are scams themselves). You'll also miss a lot of important history if you onto these places without a guide. Every door in the Forbidden city has a meaning and you won't be able to figure it out by yourself and a book can only tell you so much.
If you are in BJ, you might as well spent a day and visit Suzhou and Hangzhou, very beautiful places.
If you are in BJ, you might as well spent a day and visit Suzhou and Hangzhou, very beautiful places.