Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 430,330	$ 449,934	$ 416,173	$ 360,760	$ 417,590	$ 419,876	$ 406,613	$ 347,236	$ 1,657,197	$ 1,591,315	$ 1,079,921
Expenses:
Cost of sales									1,109,727	1,097,060	767,031
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses									320,221	279,342	113,598
Litigation, settlement and judgment expense									20,072	2,475	88,106
Management fee expense									0	0	0
Restructuring charges									7,257	0	0
Operating (loss) income	31,032	69,367	55,803	43,718	47,136	62,746	60,071	42,485	199,920	212,438	111,186
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense									(120,691)	(160,991)	(132,147)
Changes in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt									24,455	19,409	18,935
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion									0	(5,205)	(12,414)
Loss on extinguishment of debt									0	0	(21,458)
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures									2,001	4,103	22,925
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments									(2,681)	3,140	3,126
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale									11,138	(11)	5,152
Gain on acquisition of Douglas Elliman									0	0	60,842
Impairment of investment securities available for sale									(12,846)	0	0
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries									0	0	0
Management fee income									0	0	0
Other, net									6,409	9,396	4,573
Income before provision for income taxes									107,705	82,279	60,720
Income tax benefit (expense)									(41,233)	(33,165)	(23,672)
Net income									66,472	49,114	37,048
Net (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest									(7,274)	(12,258)	252
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	$ 7,904	$ 12,466	$ 17,607	$ 21,221	$ 12,215	$ 14,190	$ 7,917	$ 2,534	59,198	36,856	37,300
Comprehensive (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest									(7,274)	(12,258)	252
Comprehensive income									52,228	34,922	52,894
Parent/Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues									0	0	0
Expenses:
Cost of sales									0	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses									29,237	24,262	23,685
Litigation, settlement and judgment expense									0	0	0
Management fee expense									0	0	0
Restructuring charges									0
Operating (loss) income									(29,237)	(24,262)	(23,685)
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense									(115,731)	(157,321)	(130,417)
Changes in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt									24,455	19,409	18,935
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion										(5,205)	(12,414)
Loss on extinguishment of debt											(21,458)
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures									0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments									(2,640)	3,122	3,126
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale									(2,037)	(11)	(272)
Gain on acquisition of Douglas Elliman											0
Impairment of investment securities available for sale									(4,859)
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries									125,042	124,001	144,689
Management fee income									10,250	9,870	9,508
Other, net									4,016	4,178	1,462
Income before provision for income taxes									9,259	(26,219)	(10,526)
Income tax benefit (expense)									49,939	63,064	47,826
Net income									59,198	36,845	37,300
Net (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest									0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.									59,198	36,845	37,300
Comprehensive (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest									0	0	0
Comprehensive income									52,228	34,922	52,894
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues									1,016,279	1,030,157	1,014,341
Expenses:
Cost of sales									699,440	743,032	729,393
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses									84,437	90,208	77,780
Litigation, settlement and judgment expense									20,072	2,475	88,106
Management fee expense									10,250	9,870	9,508
Restructuring charges									7,257
Operating (loss) income									194,823	184,572	109,554
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense									(4,953)	(4,241)	(1,716)
Changes in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt									0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion										0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt											0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures									0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments									(41)	18	0
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale									13,175	0	5,424
Gain on acquisition of Douglas Elliman											0
Impairment of investment securities available for sale									(7,987)
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries									0	0	0
Management fee income									0	0	0
Other, net									639	1,044	2,763
Income before provision for income taxes									195,656	181,393	116,025
Income tax benefit (expense)									(82,282)	(78,801)	(30,758)
Net income									113,374	102,592	85,267
Net (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest									0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.									113,374	102,592	85,267
Comprehensive (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest									0	0	0
Comprehensive income									105,456	102,536	102,344
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues									641,406	561,467	65,580
Expenses:
Cost of sales									410,287	354,028	37,638
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses									207,035	165,181	12,133
Litigation, settlement and judgment expense									0	0	0
Management fee expense									0	0	0
Restructuring charges									0
Operating (loss) income									24,084	42,258	15,809
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense									(7)	(41)	(14)
Changes in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt									0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion										0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt											0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures									2,001	4,103	22,925
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments									0	0	0
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale									0	0	0
Gain on acquisition of Douglas Elliman											60,842
Impairment of investment securities available for sale									0
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries									0	0	0
Management fee income									0	0	0
Other, net									1,754	4,786	348
Income before provision for income taxes									27,832	51,106	99,910
Income tax benefit (expense)									(8,890)	(17,428)	(40,740)
Net income									18,942	33,678	59,170
Net (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest									(7,274)	(12,258)	252
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.									11,668	21,420	59,422
Comprehensive (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest									(7,274)	(12,258)	252
Comprehensive income									11,668	21,420	59,422
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues									(488)	(309)	0
Expenses:
Cost of sales									0	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses									(488)	(309)	0
Litigation, settlement and judgment expense									0	0	0
Management fee expense									(10,250)	(9,870)	(9,508)
Restructuring charges									0
Operating (loss) income									10,250	9,870	9,508
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense									0	612	0
Changes in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt									0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion										0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt											0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures									0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments									0	0	0
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale									0	0	0
Gain on acquisition of Douglas Elliman											0
Impairment of investment securities available for sale									0
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries									(125,042)	(124,001)	(144,689)
Management fee income									(10,250)	(9,870)	(9,508)
Other, net									0	(612)	0
Income before provision for income taxes									(125,042)	(124,001)	(144,689)
Income tax benefit (expense)									0	0	0
Net income									(125,042)	(124,001)	(144,689)
Net (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest									0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.									(125,042)	(124,001)	(144,689)
Comprehensive (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest									0	0	0
Comprehensive income									$ (117,124)	$ (123,956)	$ (161,766)