Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Statements of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 412,772	$ 459,104	$ 438,273	$ 380,800	$ 430,330	$ 449,934	$ 416,173	$ 360,760	$ 1,690,949	$ 1,657,197	$ 1,591,315
Expenses:
Cost of sales									1,097,344	1,109,727	1,097,060
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses									340,567	320,221	279,342
Litigation settlement and judgment expense									20,000	20,072	2,475
Management fee expense									0	0	0
Restructuring charges									41	7,257	0
Operating income	30,754	69,364	70,720	62,159	31,032	69,367	55,803	43,718	232,997	199,920	212,438
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense									(142,982)	(120,691)	(160,991)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt									31,710	24,455	19,409
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion									0	0	(5,205)
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures									5,200	2,001	4,103
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments									(2,754)	(2,681)	3,140
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale									2,907	11,138	(11)
Impairment of investment securities available for sale									(5,381)	(12,846)	0
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries									0	0	0
Management fee income									0	0	0
Other, net									4,732	6,409	9,396
Income before provision for income taxes									126,429	107,705	82,279
Income tax benefit (expense)									(49,163)	(41,233)	(33,165)
Net income									77,266	66,472	49,114
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest									(6,139)	(7,274)	(12,258)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	$ 4,599	$ 23,175	$ 24,015	$ 19,338	$ 7,904	$ 12,466	$ 17,607	$ 21,221	71,127	59,198	36,856
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest									(6,139)	(7,274)	(12,258)
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.									68,195	52,228	34,922
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues									(478)	(488)	(309)
Expenses:
Cost of sales									0	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses									(478)	(488)	(309)
Litigation settlement and judgment expense									0	0	0
Management fee expense									(10,649)	(10,250)	(9,870)
Restructuring charges									0	0
Operating income									10,649	10,250	9,870
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense									0	0	612
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt									0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion											0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures									0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments									0	0	0
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale									0	0	0
Impairment of investment securities available for sale									0	0
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries									(161,471)	(125,042)	(124,001)
Management fee income									(10,649)	(10,250)	(9,870)
Other, net									0	0	(612)
Income before provision for income taxes									(161,471)	(125,042)	(124,001)
Income tax benefit (expense)									0	0	0
Net income									(161,471)	(125,042)	(124,001)
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest									0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.									(161,471)	(125,042)	(124,001)
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest									0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.									(160,318)	(117,124)	(123,956)
Parent/Issuer
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues									0	0	0
Expenses:
Cost of sales									0	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses									36,242	29,237	24,262
Litigation settlement and judgment expense									0	0	0
Management fee expense									0	0	0
Restructuring charges									0	0
Operating income									(36,242)	(29,237)	(24,262)
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense									(139,524)	(115,731)	(157,321)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt									31,710	24,455	19,409
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion											(5,205)
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures									0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments									(2,664)	(2,640)	3,122
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale									376	(2,037)	(11)
Impairment of investment securities available for sale									(609)	(4,859)
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries									161,471	125,042	124,001
Management fee income									10,649	10,250	9,870
Other, net									2,780	4,016	4,178
Income before provision for income taxes									27,947	9,259	(26,219)
Income tax benefit (expense)									43,180	49,939	63,064
Net income									71,127	59,198	36,845
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest									0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.									71,127	59,198	36,845
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest									0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.									68,195	52,228	34,922
Subsidiary Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues									1,011,322	1,016,279	1,030,157
Expenses:
Cost of sales									672,515	699,440	743,032
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses									72,359	84,437	90,208
Litigation settlement and judgment expense									20,000	20,072	2,475
Management fee expense									10,649	10,250	9,870
Restructuring charges									41	7,257
Operating income									235,758	194,823	184,572
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense									(3,438)	(4,953)	(4,241)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt									0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion											0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures									0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments									(90)	(41)	18
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale									2,531	13,175	0
Impairment of investment securities available for sale									(4,772)	(7,987)
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries									0	0	0
Management fee income									0	0	0
Other, net									1,013	639	1,044
Income before provision for income taxes									231,002	195,656	181,393
Income tax benefit (expense)									(83,008)	(82,282)	(78,801)
Net income									147,994	113,374	102,592
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest									0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.									147,994	113,374	102,592
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest									0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.									146,841	105,456	102,536
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues									680,105	641,406	561,467
Expenses:
Cost of sales									424,829	410,287	354,028
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses									232,444	207,035	165,181
Litigation settlement and judgment expense									0	0	0
Management fee expense									0	0	0
Restructuring charges									0	0
Operating income									22,832	24,084	42,258
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense									(20)	(7)	(41)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt									0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion											0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures									5,200	2,001	4,103
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments									0	0	0
Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale									0	0	0
Impairment of investment securities available for sale									0	0
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries									0	0	0
Management fee income									0	0	0
Other, net									939	1,754	4,786
Income before provision for income taxes									28,951	27,832	51,106
Income tax benefit (expense)									(9,335)	(8,890)	(17,428)
Net income									19,616	18,942	33,678
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest									(6,139)	(7,274)	(12,258)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.									13,477	11,668	21,420
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest									(6,139)	(7,274)	(12,258)
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.									$ 13,477	$ 11,668	$ 21,420