Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 416,173	$ 406,613	$ 776,933	$ 753,849
Expenses:
Cost of sales	279,204	279,282	521,222	518,319
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	79,679	67,023	153,623	131,000
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	1,250	0	2,093	1,500
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Operating income	56,040	60,308	99,995	103,030
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(31,761)	(44,183)	(63,507)	(79,636)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	5,256	1,970	11,716	320
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion	0	(439)	0	(4,118)
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	1,856	(1,808)	2,194	(256)
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	(190)	(18)	12,839	(71)
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments	(1,657)	(273)	(1,694)	633
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	1,525	3,575	3,421	5,701
Income before provision for income taxes	31,069	19,132	64,964	25,603
Income tax benefit (expense)	(11,364)	(6,101)	(24,043)	(9,043)
Net income	19,705	13,031	40,921	16,560
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(1,837)	(5,106)	(2,097)	(6,055)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	17,868	7,925	38,824	10,505
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(1,837)	(5,106)	(2,097)	(6,055)
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	15,087	9,436	38,042	17,324
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	6,937	4,933	13,894	11,216
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0		0	0
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Operating income	(6,937)	(4,933)	(13,894)	(11,216)
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(30,880)	(43,190)	(61,634)	(77,972)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	5,256	1,970	11,716	320
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion		(439)		(4,118)
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	(190)	(18)	(336)	(71)
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments	(1,657)	(273)	(1,694)	633
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	35,754	32,408	71,748	60,126
Management fee income	2,563	2,468	5,125	4,935
Other, net	896	1,068	1,920	1,766
Income before provision for income taxes	4,805	(10,939)	12,951	(25,597)
Income tax benefit (expense)	13,063	18,864	25,873	36,102
Net income	17,868	7,925	38,824	10,505
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	17,868	7,925	38,824	10,505
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	15,087	9,436	38,042	17,324
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	255,291	253,125	483,914	492,317
Expenses:
Cost of sales	175,334	181,517	332,994	353,230
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	22,555	22,190	43,892	43,875
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	1,250		2,093	1,500
Management fee expense	2,563	2,468	5,125	4,935
Operating income	53,589	46,950	99,810	88,777
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(879)	(1,284)	(1,870)	(2,239)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion		0		0
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	13,175	0
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments	0	0	0	0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	200	224	520	484
Income before provision for income taxes	52,910	45,890	111,635	87,022
Income tax benefit (expense)	(21,226)	(19,716)	(45,407)	(36,355)
Net income	31,684	26,174	66,228	50,667
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	31,684	26,174	66,228	50,667
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	31,933	25,464	65,589	50,659
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	161,022	153,488	293,278	261,532
Expenses:
Cost of sales	103,870	97,765	188,228	165,089
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	50,327	39,900	96,096	75,909
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0		0	0
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Operating income	6,825	15,823	8,954	20,534
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(2)	(3)	(3)	(37)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion		0		0
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	1,856	(1,808)	2,194	(256)
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	0
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments	0	0	0	0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	429	2,577	981	4,063
Income before provision for income taxes	9,108	16,589	12,126	24,304
Income tax benefit (expense)	(3,201)	(5,249)	(4,509)	(8,790)
Net income	5,907	11,340	7,617	15,514
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(1,837)	(5,106)	(2,097)	(6,055)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	4,070	6,234	5,520	9,459
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(1,837)	(5,106)	(2,097)	(6,055)
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	4,070	6,234	5,520	9,459
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	(140)	0	(259)	0
Expenses:
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	(140)	0	(259)	0
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0		0	0
Management fee expense	(2,563)	(2,468)	(5,125)	(4,935)
Operating income	2,563	2,468	5,125	4,935
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	0	294	0	612
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion		0		0
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	0
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments	0	0	0	0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	(35,754)	(32,408)	(71,748)	(60,126)
Management fee income	(2,563)	(2,468)	(5,125)	(4,935)
Other, net	0	(294)	0	(612)
Income before provision for income taxes	(35,754)	(32,408)	(71,748)	(60,126)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Net income	(35,754)	(32,408)	(71,748)	(60,126)
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	(35,754)	(32,408)	(71,748)	(60,126)
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	$ (36,003)	$ (31,698)	$ (71,109)	$ (60,118)