Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Statements of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 459,104	$ 449,934	$ 1,278,177	$ 1,226,867
Expenses:
Cost of sales	303,442	295,917	823,495	817,139
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	86,298	79,352	250,048	233,449
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0	3,750	2,350	5,843
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges	0	1,548	41	1,548
Operating income	69,364	69,367	202,243	168,888
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(37,365)	(32,898)	(104,454)	(96,405)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	6,112	7,044	23,222	18,760
Equity in earnings (losses) from real estate ventures	1,022	(916)	3,328	1,278
Equity in losses from investments	(1,526)	(1,103)	(2,108)	(2,654)
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale	142	(821)	848	12,018
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	(54)	(12,211)	(4,916)	(12,211)
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	1,328	1,342	2,956	5,100
Income before provision for income taxes	39,023	29,804	121,119	94,774
Income tax benefit (expense)	(13,316)	(13,694)	(46,682)	(37,739)
Net income	25,707	16,110	74,437	57,035
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(2,532)	(3,644)	(7,909)	(5,741)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	23,175	12,466	66,528	51,294
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(2,532)	(3,644)	(7,909)	(5,741)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	24,858	(11,816)	67,985	32,221
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	(129)	(109)	(358)	(368)
Expenses:
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	(129)	(109)	(358)	(368)
Litigation settlement and judgment expense		0	0	0
Management fee expense	(2,662)	(2,562)	(7,987)	(7,687)
Restructuring charges		0	0	0
Operating income	2,662	2,562	7,987	7,687
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 (losses) from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity in 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	0	0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	(49,447)	(32,326)	(131,498)	(104,070)
Management fee income	(2,662)	(2,562)	(7,987)	(7,687)
Other, net	0	0	0	0
Income before provision for income taxes	(49,447)	(32,326)	(131,498)	(104,070)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Net income	(49,447)	(32,326)	(131,498)	(104,070)
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	(49,447)	(32,326)	(131,498)	(104,070)
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	(50,918)	(14,164)	(132,991)	(83,082)
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	8,726	6,610	26,941	20,978
Litigation settlement and judgment expense		0	0	0
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges		0	0	0
Operating income	(8,726)	(6,610)	(26,941)	(20,978)
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(36,531)	(31,609)	(101,811)	(93,243)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	6,112	7,044	23,222	18,760
Equity in earnings (losses) from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity in losses from investments	(1,485)	(1,087)	(2,043)	(2,630)
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale	142	(821)	457	(1,157)
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	(54)	(4,224)	(144)	(4,224)
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	49,447	32,326	131,498	104,070
Management fee income	2,662	2,562	7,987	7,687
Other, net	1,205	1,148	1,512	3,405
Income before provision for income taxes	12,772	(1,271)	33,737	11,690
Income tax benefit (expense)	10,403	13,737	32,791	39,604
Net income	23,175	12,466	66,528	51,294
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	23,175	12,466	66,528	51,294
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	24,858	(11,816)	67,985	32,221
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	274,297	264,480	751,087	748,394
Expenses:
Cost of sales	186,353	174,839	491,711	507,833
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	18,658	20,712	55,874	64,604
Litigation settlement and judgment expense		3,750	2,350	5,843
Management fee expense	2,662	2,562	7,987	7,687
Restructuring charges		1,548	41	1,548
Operating income	66,624	61,069	193,124	160,879
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(827)	(1,288)	(2,629)	(3,158)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings (losses) from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity in losses from investments	(41)	(16)	(65)	(24)
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	391	13,175
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	0	(7,987)	(4,772)	(7,987)
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	259	(111)	740	409
Income before provision for income taxes	66,015	51,667	186,789	163,294
Income tax benefit (expense)	(21,289)	(24,036)	(69,582)	(69,439)
Net income	44,726	27,631	117,207	93,855
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	44,726	27,631	117,207	93,855
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	46,197	9,469	118,700	72,867
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	184,936	185,563	527,448	478,841
Expenses:
Cost of sales	117,089	121,078	331,784	309,306
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	59,043	52,139	167,591	148,235
Litigation settlement and judgment expense		0	0	0
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges		0	0	0
Operating income	8,804	12,346	28,073	21,300
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(7)	(1)	(14)	(4)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings (losses) from real estate ventures	1,022	(916)	3,328	1,278
Equity in 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	0	0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	(136)	305	704	1,286
Income before provision for income taxes	9,683	11,734	32,091	23,860
Income tax benefit (expense)	(2,430)	(3,395)	(9,891)	(7,904)
Net income	7,253	8,339	22,200	15,956
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(2,532)	(3,644)	(7,909)	(5,741)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	4,721	4,695	14,291	10,215
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(2,532)	(3,644)	(7,909)	(5,741)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	$ 4,721	$ 4,695	$ 14,291	$ 10,215