Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 410,409	$ 393,530	$ 474,738	$ 240,368
Investment securities available for sale	146,223	156,903
Accounts receivable - trade, net	25,479	18,801
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	87,979	89,834
Income taxes receivable, net	8,178	16,110
Restricted assets	8,797	7,330
Other current assets	29,458	22,955
Total current assets	716,523	705,463
Property, plant and equipment, net	80,994	80,448
Investments in real estate, net	23,675	23,640
Long-term investments	75,171	53,197
Investments in real estate ventures	201,356	221,258
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	3,754	3,986
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	261,189	261,918
Prepaid pension costs	22,882	22,273
Other assets	34,742	31,852
Total assets	1,420,286	1,404,035
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	20,941	39,508
Current portion of employee benefits	937	937
Intercompany payables	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	0	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	73,410	19,851
Other current liabilities	145,825	135,852
Total current liabilities	241,113	196,148
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	1,158,877	1,132,943
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	95,627	112,332
Non-current employee benefits	59,384	58,958
Deferred income taxes, net	85,176	93,085
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	64,630	63,841
Total liabilities	1,704,807	1,657,307
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(367,853)	(332,000)
Non-controlling interest	83,332	78,728
Total stockholders' deficiency	(284,521)	(253,272)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	1,420,286	1,404,035
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	(19,897)	(22,789)
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	(6,356)	(2,277)
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(26,253)	(25,066)
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	(493,411)	(501,659)
Restricted assets	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(519,664)	(526,725)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	(19,897)	(22,789)
Income taxes payable, net	(6,356)	(2,277)
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(26,253)	(25,066)
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	(26,253)	(25,066)
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(493,411)	(501,659)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	(493,411)	(501,659)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	(519,664)	(526,725)
Parent/Issuer [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	248,165	279,815	335,034	111,470
Investment securities available for sale	113,653	121,016
Accounts receivable - trade, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	19,897	22,789
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	14,534	18,387
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	471	517
Total current assets	396,720	442,524
Property, plant and equipment, net	787	1,134
Investments in real estate, net	0	0
Long-term investments	74,812	52,308
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	493,411	501,659
Restricted assets	1,495	1,728
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	7,946	7,534
Total assets	975,171	1,006,887
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	44,896	47,968
Total current liabilities	44,896	47,968
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	1,154,170	1,127,180
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	95,627	112,332
Non-current employee benefits	43,693	42,818
Deferred income taxes, net	3,526	7,420
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	1,112	1,169
Total liabilities	1,343,024	1,338,887
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(367,853)	(332,000)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	(367,853)	(332,000)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	975,171	1,006,887
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	49,500	14,798	32,246	12,375
Investment securities available for sale	32,570	35,887
Accounts receivable - trade, net	17,502	11,775
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	87,979	89,834
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Restricted assets	4,645	6,416
Other current assets	3,779	4,428
Total current assets	195,975	163,138
Property, plant and equipment, net	45,251	48,314
Investments in real estate, net	0	0
Long-term investments	359	388
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	2,259	2,258
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	107,511	107,511
Prepaid pension costs	22,882	22,273
Other assets	12,313	12,118
Total assets	386,550	356,000
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	20,760	39,333
Current portion of employee benefits	937	937
Intercompany payables	567	24
Income taxes payable, net	5,250	1,089
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	73,410	19,851
Other current liabilities	57,230	49,492
Total current liabilities	158,154	110,726
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	4,389	5,372
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	15,691	16,140
Deferred income taxes, net	37,501	40,136
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	47,260	49,861
Total liabilities	262,995	222,235
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	123,555	133,765
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	123,555	133,765
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	386,550	356,000
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	112,744	98,917	$ 107,458	$ 116,523
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	7,977	7,026
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Restricted assets	4,152	914
Other current assets	25,208	18,010
Total current assets	150,081	124,867
Property, plant and equipment, net	34,956	31,000
Investments in real estate, net	23,675	23,640
Long-term investments	0	501
Investments in real estate ventures	201,356	221,258
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	153,678	154,407
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	14,483	12,200
Total assets	578,229	567,873
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	181	175
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	19,330	22,765
Income taxes payable, net	1,106	1,188
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Other current liabilities	43,699	38,392
Total current liabilities	64,316	62,520
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	318	391
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes, net	44,149	45,529
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	16,258	12,811
Total liabilities	125,041	121,251
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	369,856	367,894
Non-controlling interest	83,332	78,728
Total stockholders' deficiency	453,188	446,622
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	$ 578,229	$ 567,873