Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statements of Operations (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 419,876	$ 277,941	$ 1,173,725	$ 780,336
Expenses:
Cost of sales	287,236	200,835	805,555	564,457
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	69,431	26,478	200,431	77,915
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	225	87,913	1,725	87,913
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Operating income (loss)	62,984	(37,285)	166,014	50,051
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(44,034)	(33,583)	(123,670)	(99,045)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	7,127	2,800	7,447	8,299
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion	(994)	0	(5,112)	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0	0	(21,458)
Equity income from real estate ventures	3,258	9,489	3,002	16,774
Equity income (loss) on long-term investments	829	(53)	1,462	770
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale	33	(99)	(38)	5,110
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	2,466	2,871	8,167	5,151
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes	31,669	(55,860)	57,272	(34,348)
Income tax benefit (expense)	(11,964)	18,969	(21,007)	9,287
Net income (loss)	19,705	(36,891)	36,265	(25,061)
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(4,826)	0	(10,881)	0
Net income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	14,879	(36,891)	25,384	(25,061)
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(4,826)	0	(10,881)	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	28,720	(28,536)	52,099	(9,670)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	23,894	(28,536)	41,218	(9,670)
Parent/Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Expenses:
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	6,099	4,968	17,315	16,350
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0	0	0	0
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Operating income (loss)	(6,099)	(4,968)	(17,315)	(16,350)
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(43,005)	(32,978)	(120,977)	(97,661)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	7,127	2,800	7,447	8,299
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion	(994)		(5,112)
Loss on extinguishment of debt				(21,458)
Equity income from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity income (loss) on long-term investments	829	(53)	1,462	770
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale	33	(99)	(38)	(296)
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	36,428	(11,514)	96,554	52,051
Management fee income	2,467	2,377	7,402	7,131
Other, net	1,936	603	3,702	2,550
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes	(1,278)	(43,832)	(26,875)	(64,964)
Income tax benefit (expense)	16,157	6,941	52,259	39,903
Net income (loss)	14,879	(36,891)	25,384	(25,061)
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0		0
Net income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	14,879		25,384
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0		0
Comprehensive income (loss)		(28,536)		(9,670)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	23,894		41,218
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	266,328	271,516	758,645	761,038
Expenses:
Cost of sales	190,794	194,991	544,024	548,377
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	22,395	19,990	66,270	56,939
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	225	87,913	1,725	87,913
Management fee expense	2,467	2,377	7,402	7,131
Operating income (loss)	50,447	(33,755)	139,224	60,678
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(1,026)	(602)	(3,265)	(1,374)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion	0		0
Loss on extinguishment of debt				0
Equity income from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity income (loss) on long-term investments	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	5,406
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	296	2,270	780	2,475
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes	49,717	(32,087)	136,739	67,185
Income tax benefit (expense)	(21,491)	15,521	(57,846)	(24,270)
Net income (loss)	28,226	(16,566)	78,893	42,915
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0		0
Net income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	28,226		78,893
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0		0
Comprehensive income (loss)		(11,923)		49,701
Comprehensive income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	28,367		79,026
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	153,748	6,425	415,280	19,298
Expenses:
Cost of sales	96,442	5,844	261,531	16,080
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	41,137	1,520	117,046	4,626
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0	0	0
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Operating income (loss)	16,169	(939)	36,703	(1,408)
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(3)	(3)	(40)	(10)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion	0		0
Loss on extinguishment of debt				0
Equity income from real estate ventures	3,258	9,489	3,002	16,774
Equity income (loss) on long-term investments	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	234	(2)	4,297	126
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes	19,658	8,545	43,962	15,482
Income tax benefit (expense)	(6,630)	(3,493)	(15,420)	(6,346)
Net income (loss)	13,028	5,052	28,542	9,136
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(4,826)		(10,881)
Net income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	8,202		17,661
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(4,826)		(10,881)
Comprehensive income (loss)		5,052		9,136
Comprehensive income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	8,202		17,661
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	(200)	0	(200)	0
Expenses:
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	(200)	0	(200)	0
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0	0	0
Management fee expense	(2,467)	(2,377)	(7,402)	(7,131)
Operating income (loss)	2,467	2,377	7,402	7,131
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	0	0	612	0
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion	0		0
Loss on extinguishment of debt				0
Equity income from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity income (loss) on long-term investments	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	(36,428)	11,514	(96,554)	(52,051)
Management fee income	(2,467)	(2,377)	(7,402)	(7,131)
Other, net	0	0	(612)	0
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes	(36,428)	11,514	(96,554)	(52,051)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	(36,428)	11,514	(96,554)	(52,051)
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0		0
Net income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	(36,428)		(96,554)
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0		0
Comprehensive income (loss)		6,871		(58,837)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	$ (36,569)		$ (96,687)