Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 393,530	$ 240,368	$ 326,365	$ 234,466
Investment securities available for sale	156,903	181,976
Accounts receivable - trade, net	18,801	23,889
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	89,834	86,516
Income taxes receivable, net	16,110	2,841
Restricted assets	7,330	9,195
Other current assets	22,955	38,954
Total current assets	705,463	583,739
Property, plant and equipment, net	80,448	75,632
Investments in real estate, net	23,640	23,318
Long-term investments	53,197	62,726
Investments in real estate ventures	221,258	217,168
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	3,986	12,303
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	261,918	263,959
Prepaid pension costs	22,273	20,650
Other assets	31,852	21,120
Total assets	1,404,035	1,280,615	1,389,042
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	39,508	8,919
Current portion of employee benefits	937	915
Intercompany payables	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	0	96
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	19,851	52,145
Other current liabilities	135,852	154,217
Total current liabilities	196,148	216,292
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	1,132,943	856,108
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	112,332	144,042
Non-current employee benefits	58,958	55,055
Deferred income taxes, net	93,085	79,429
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	63,841	51,850
Total liabilities	1,657,307	1,402,776
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 10 and 15)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(332,000)	(206,047)
Non-controlling interest	78,728	83,886
Total stockholders' deficiency	(253,272)	(122,161)	(20,680)	(50,605)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	1,404,035	1,280,615
Consolidating Adjustments
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	(22,789)	(11,293)
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	(2,277)	(5,372)
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(25,066)	(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	(501,659)	(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	(526,725)	(549,166)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	(22,789)	(11,293)
Income taxes payable, net	(2,277)	(5,372)
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(25,066)	(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	(25,066)	(16,665)
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 10 and 15)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(501,659)	(532,501)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	(501,659)	(532,501)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	(526,725)	(549,166)
Parent/Issuer
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	279,815	111,470	211,751	151,342
Investment securities available for sale	121,016	131,810
Accounts receivable - trade, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	22,789	11,293
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	18,387	8,213
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	517	575
Total current assets	442,524	263,361
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,134	1,711
Investments in real estate, net	0	0
Long-term investments	52,308	61,747
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	501,659	532,501
Restricted assets	1,728	1,713
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	7,534	7,582
Total assets	1,006,887	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	47,968	38,140
Total current liabilities	47,968	38,140
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	1,127,180	848,368
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	112,332	144,042
Non-current employee benefits	42,818	39,244
Deferred income taxes, net	7,420	2,675
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	1,169	2,193
Total liabilities	1,338,887	1,074,662
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 10 and 15)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(332,000)	(206,047)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	(332,000)	(206,047)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	1,006,887	868,615
Subsidiary Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	14,798	12,375	9,724	11,812
Investment securities available for sale	35,887	50,166
Accounts receivable - trade, net	11,775	15,913
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	89,834	86,516
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Restricted assets	6,416	7,781
Other current assets	4,428	3,747
Total current assets	163,138	176,498
Property, plant and equipment, net	48,314	54,097
Investments in real estate, net	0	0
Long-term investments	388	478
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	2,258	10,590
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	107,511	107,511
Prepaid pension costs	22,273	20,650
Other assets	12,118	11,769
Total assets	356,000	381,593
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	39,333	8,733
Current portion of employee benefits	937	915
Intercompany payables	24	586
Income taxes payable, net	1,089	5,464
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	19,851	52,145
Other current liabilities	49,492	74,083
Total current liabilities	110,726	141,926
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	5,372	7,519
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	16,140	15,811
Deferred income taxes, net	40,136	33,791
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	49,861	44,982
Total liabilities	222,235	244,029
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 10 and 15)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	133,765	137,564
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	133,765	137,564
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	356,000	381,593
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	98,917	116,523	$ 104,890	$ 71,312
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	7,026	7,976
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Restricted assets	914	1,414
Other current assets	18,010	34,632
Total current assets	124,867	160,545
Property, plant and equipment, net	31,000	19,824
Investments in real estate, net	23,640	23,318
Long-term investments	501	501
Investments in real estate ventures	221,258	217,168
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	154,407	156,448
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	12,200	1,769
Total assets	567,873	579,573
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	175	186
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	22,765	10,707
Income taxes payable, net	1,188	4
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Other current liabilities	38,392	41,994
Total current liabilities	62,520	52,891
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	391	221
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes, net	45,529	42,963
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	12,811	4,675
Total liabilities	121,251	100,750
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 10 and 15)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	367,894	394,937
Non-controlling interest	78,728	83,886
Total stockholders' deficiency	446,622	478,823
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	$ 567,873	$ 579,573