When you connect, as with any initial SSH session you will be prompted to authenticate and confirm the creation of an RSA fingerprint, and then be able to peruse your remote Mac using the Terminal.

The Secure Shell — SSH — allows you to send secure, encrypted, communications between computers that is nearly impossible to crack. Here's how to use it in macOS.

The free version, however, offers the basic features you need, such as SSH key authentication support, a built-in SSH key generator, snippets, forwarding, themes, tabs, and more.

If your network doesn't allow connections into the default VNC port 5901, you can tunnel it through SSH.