Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Statements of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 438,273	$ 416,173	$ 819,073	$ 776,933
Expenses:
Cost of sales	283,631	279,204	520,053	521,222
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	83,922	79,916	163,750	154,097
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0	1,250	2,350	2,093
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges	0	0	41	0
Operating income	70,720	55,803	132,879	99,521
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(36,369)	(31,761)	(67,089)	(63,507)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	7,416	5,256	17,110	11,716
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures	2,813	1,856	2,306	2,194
Equity in earnings (losses) from investments	1,089	(2,163)	(582)	(1,551)
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale	139	(190)	706	12,839
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	(49)	0	(4,862)	0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	581	1,821	1,628	3,758
Income before provision for income taxes	46,340	30,622	82,096	64,970
Income tax benefit (expense)	(19,003)	(11,178)	(33,366)	(24,045)
Net income	27,337	19,444	48,730	40,925
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(3,322)	(1,837)	(5,377)	(2,097)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	24,015	17,607	43,353	38,828
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(3,322)	(1,837)	(5,377)	(2,097)
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	23,746	17,834	43,127	44,037
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	(140)	(140)	(229)	(259)
Expenses:
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	(140)	(140)	(229)	(259)
Litigation settlement and judgment expense		0	0	0
Management fee expense	(2,663)	(2,563)	(5,325)	(5,125)
Restructuring charges			0
Operating income	2,663	2,563	5,325	5,125
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings (losses) from investments	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	0
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	0		0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	(46,441)	(35,745)	(82,051)	(71,744)
Management fee income	(2,663)	(2,563)	(5,325)	(5,125)
Other, net	0	0	0	0
Income before provision for income taxes	(46,441)	(35,745)	(82,051)	(71,744)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Net income	(46,441)	(35,745)	(82,051)	(71,744)
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	(46,441)	(35,745)	(82,051)	(71,744)
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	(46,320)	(35,201)	(82,073)	(68,918)
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	9,019	7,174	18,215	14,368
Litigation settlement and judgment expense		0	0	0
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges			0
Operating income	(9,019)	(7,174)	(18,215)	(14,368)
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(35,522)	(30,880)	(65,280)	(61,634)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	7,416	5,256	17,110	11,716
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings (losses) from investments	1,097	(2,147)	(558)	(1,543)
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale	139	(190)	315	(336)
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	(49)		(90)
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	46,441	35,745	82,051	71,744
Management fee income	2,663	2,563	5,325	5,125
Other, net	(93)	1,192	307	2,257
Income before provision for income taxes	13,073	4,365	20,965	12,961
Income tax benefit (expense)	10,942	13,242	22,388	25,867
Net income	24,015	17,607	43,353	38,828
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	24,015	17,607	43,353	38,828
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	23,746	17,834	43,127	44,037
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	255,648	255,291	476,790	483,914
Expenses:
Cost of sales	168,614	175,334	305,358	332,994
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	18,943	22,555	37,216	43,892
Litigation settlement and judgment expense		1,250	2,350	2,093
Management fee expense	2,663	2,563	5,325	5,125
Restructuring charges			41
Operating income	65,428	53,589	126,500	99,810
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(843)	(879)	(1,802)	(1,870)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings (losses) from investments	(8)	(16)	(24)	(8)
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	391	13,175
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	0		(4,772)
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	244	200	481	520
Income before provision for income taxes	64,821	52,894	120,774	111,627
Income tax benefit (expense)	(24,907)	(21,219)	(48,293)	(45,403)
Net income	39,914	31,675	72,481	66,224
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	39,914	31,675	72,481	66,224
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	39,793	31,131	72,503	63,398
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	182,765	161,022	342,512	293,278
Expenses:
Cost of sales	115,017	103,870	214,695	188,228
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	56,100	50,327	108,548	96,096
Litigation settlement and judgment expense		0	0	0
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges			0
Operating income	11,648	6,825	19,269	8,954
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(4)	(2)	(7)	(3)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures	2,813	1,856	2,306	2,194
Equity in earnings (losses) from investments	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	0
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	0		0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	430	429	840	981
Income before provision for income taxes	14,887	9,108	22,408	12,126
Income tax benefit (expense)	(5,038)	(3,201)	(7,461)	(4,509)
Net income	9,849	5,907	14,947	7,617
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(3,322)	(1,837)	(5,377)	(2,097)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	6,527	4,070	9,570	5,520
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(3,322)	(1,837)	(5,377)	(2,097)
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	$ 6,527	$ 4,070	$ 9,570	$ 5,520