Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 474,738	$ 240,368	$ 238,323	$ 326,365
Investment securities available for sale	160,854	181,976
Accounts receivable - trade, net	25,076	23,889
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	92,735	86,516
Income taxes receivable, net	218	2,841
Restricted assets	9,437	9,195
Other current assets	40,163	38,954
Total current assets	803,221	583,739
Property, plant and equipment, net	71,904	75,632
Investments in real estate, net	23,328	23,318
Long-term investments	59,369	62,726
Investments in real estate ventures	206,139	217,168
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	9,386	12,303
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	262,866	263,959
Prepaid pension costs	21,302	20,650
Other assets	21,985	21,120
Total assets	1,479,500	1,280,615
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	16,615	8,919
Current portion of employee benefits	914	915
Intercompany payables	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	0	96
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	60,486	52,145
Other current liabilities	140,388	154,217
Total current liabilities	218,403	216,292
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	1,110,731	856,108
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	126,932	144,042
Non-current employee benefits	55,308	55,055
Deferred income taxes, net	87,914	79,429
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	55,648	51,850
Total liabilities	1,654,936	1,402,776
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(257,525)	(206,047)
Non-controlling interest	82,089	83,886
Total stockholders' deficiency	(175,436)	(122,161)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	1,479,500	1,280,615
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(16,435)	(11,293)
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	(12,124)	(5,372)
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(28,559)	(16,665)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Investments in real estate, net	0	0
Long-term investments	0	0
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	(517,365)	(532,501)
Restricted assets	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(545,924)	(549,166)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	(16,435)	(11,293)
Income taxes payable, net	(12,124)	(5,372)
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(28,559)	(16,665)
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	0	0
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes, net	0	0
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Total liabilities	(28,559)	(16,665)
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(517,365)	(532,501)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	(517,365)	(532,501)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	(545,924)	(549,166)
Parent/Issuer [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	335,034	111,470	111,503	211,751
Investment securities available for sale	120,283	131,810
Accounts receivable - trade, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	16,435	11,293
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	12,342	8,213
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	618	575
Total current assets	484,712	263,361
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,452	1,711
Investments in real estate, net	0	0
Long-term investments	58,414	61,747
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	517,365	532,501
Restricted assets	1,720	1,713
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	7,621	7,582
Total assets	1,071,284	868,615
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	0	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Other current liabilities	44,520	38,140
Total current liabilities	44,520	38,140
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	1,104,171	848,368
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	126,932	144,042
Non-current employee benefits	40,075	39,244
Deferred income taxes, net	7,826	2,675
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	5,285	2,193
Total liabilities	1,328,809	1,074,662
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(257,525)	(206,047)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	(257,525)	(206,047)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	1,071,284	868,615
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	32,246	12,375	24,020	9,724
Investment securities available for sale	40,571	50,166
Accounts receivable - trade, net	15,015	15,913
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	92,735	86,516
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Restricted assets	8,523	7,781
Other current assets	3,794	3,747
Total current assets	192,884	176,498
Property, plant and equipment, net	51,122	54,097
Investments in real estate, net	0	0
Long-term investments	454	478
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	7,666	10,590
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	107,511	107,511
Prepaid pension costs	21,302	20,650
Other assets	12,002	11,769
Total assets	392,941	381,593
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	16,523	8,733
Current portion of employee benefits	914	915
Intercompany payables	585	586
Income taxes payable, net	11,501	5,464
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	60,486	52,145
Other current liabilities	55,350	74,083
Total current liabilities	145,359	141,926
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	6,338	7,519
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	15,233	15,811
Deferred income taxes, net	35,138	33,791
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	45,010	44,982
Total liabilities	247,078	244,029
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	145,863	137,564
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	145,863	137,564
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	392,941	381,593
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	107,458	116,523	$ 102,800	$ 104,890
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	10,061	7,976
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Restricted assets	914	1,414
Other current assets	35,751	34,632
Total current assets	154,184	160,545
Property, plant and equipment, net	19,330	19,824
Investments in real estate, net	23,328	23,318
Long-term investments	501	501
Investments in real estate ventures	206,139	217,168
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	155,355	156,448
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	2,362	1,769
Total assets	561,199	579,573
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	92	186
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	15,850	10,707
Income taxes payable, net	623	4
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Other current liabilities	40,518	41,994
Total current liabilities	57,083	52,891
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	222	221
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes, net	44,950	42,963
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	5,353	4,675
Total liabilities	107,608	100,750
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	371,502	394,937
Non-controlling interest	82,089	83,886
Total stockholders' deficiency	453,591	478,823
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	$ 561,199	$ 579,573