Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 445,874	$ 240,368	$ 246,347	$ 326,365
Investment securities available for sale	175,653	181,976
Accounts receivable - trade, net	23,371	23,889
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	87,622	86,516
Income taxes receivable, net	7,287	2,841
Restricted assets	4,749	9,195
Other current assets	39,169	38,954
Total current assets	783,725	583,739
Property, plant and equipment, net	77,887	75,632
Investments in real estate, net	23,630	23,318
Long-term investments	54,005	62,726
Investments in real estate ventures	211,825	217,168
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	8,134	12,303
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	261,919	263,959
Prepaid pension costs	21,628	20,650
Other assets	21,977	21,120
Total assets	1,464,730	1,280,615
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	16,280	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	86,298	52,145
Other current liabilities	113,865	154,217
Total current liabilities	217,357	216,292
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	1,121,433	856,108
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	120,820	144,042
Non-current employee benefits	55,451	55,055
Deferred income taxes, net	89,557	79,429
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	58,709	51,850
Total liabilities	1,663,327	1,402,776
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(281,132)	(206,047)
Non-controlling interest	82,535	83,886
Total stockholders' deficiency	(198,597)	(122,161)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	1,464,730	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	(19,347)	(11,293)
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	(9,990)	(5,372)
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(29,337)	(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	(511,298)	(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	(540,635)	(549,166)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	(19,347)	(11,293)
Income taxes payable, net	(9,990)	(5,372)
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(29,337)	(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	(29,337)	(16,665)
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(511,298)	(532,501)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	(511,298)	(532,501)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	(540,635)	(549,166)
Parent/Issuer [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	287,097	111,470	94,546	211,751
Investment securities available for sale	132,849	131,810
Accounts receivable - trade, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	19,347	11,293
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	17,277	8,213
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	4,411	575
Total current assets	460,981	263,361
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,270	1,711
Investments in real estate, net	0	0
Long-term investments	53,091	61,747
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	511,298	532,501
Restricted assets	1,724	1,713
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	7,575	7,582
Total assets	1,035,939	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	29,948	38,140
Total current liabilities	29,948	38,140
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	1,115,272	848,368
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	120,820	144,042
Non-current employee benefits	40,490	39,244
Deferred income taxes, net	8,002	2,675
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	2,539	2,193
Total liabilities	1,317,071	1,074,662
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(281,132)	(206,047)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	(281,132)	(206,047)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	1,035,939	868,615
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	44,934	12,375	26,842	9,724
Investment securities available for sale	42,804	50,166
Accounts receivable - trade, net	13,766	15,913
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	87,622	86,516
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Restricted assets	3,835	7,781
Other current assets	3,611	3,747
Total current assets	196,572	176,498
Property, plant and equipment, net	50,146	54,097
Investments in real estate, net	0	0
Long-term investments	413	478
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	6,410	10,590
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	107,511	107,511
Prepaid pension costs	21,628	20,650
Other assets	12,053	11,769
Total assets	394,733	381,593
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	16,106	8,733
Current portion of employee benefits	914	915
Intercompany payables	1	586
Income taxes payable, net	9,057	5,464
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	86,298	52,145
Other current liabilities	39,149	74,083
Total current liabilities	151,525	141,926
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	5,726	7,519
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	14,961	15,811
Deferred income taxes, net	35,407	33,791
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	45,597	44,982
Total liabilities	253,216	244,029
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	141,517	137,564
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	141,517	137,564
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	394,733	381,593
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	113,843	116,523	$ 124,959	$ 104,890
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	9,605	7,976
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Restricted assets	914	1,414
Other current assets	31,147	34,632
Total current assets	155,509	160,545
Property, plant and equipment, net	26,471	19,824
Investments in real estate, net	23,630	23,318
Long-term investments	501	501
Investments in real estate ventures	211,825	217,168
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	154,408	156,448
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	2,349	1,769
Total assets	574,693	579,573
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	174	186
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	19,346	10,707
Income taxes payable, net	933	4
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Other current liabilities	44,768	41,994
Total current liabilities	65,221	52,891
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	435	221
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes, net	46,148	42,963
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	10,573	4,675
Total liabilities	122,377	100,750
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	369,781	394,937
Non-controlling interest	82,535	83,886
Total stockholders' deficiency	452,316	478,823
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	$ 574,693	$ 579,573