Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Statements of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 471,989	$ 438,273	$ 887,197	$ 819,073
Expenses:
Cost of sales	314,894	283,631	590,817	520,053
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	83,183	83,922	167,952	163,750
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	102	0	1,687	2,350
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges	0	0	0	41
Operating income	73,810	70,720	126,741	132,879
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(46,691)	(36,369)	(92,912)	(67,089)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	8,134	7,416	16,705	17,110
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0	(34,110)	0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures	15,291	2,813	26,404	2,306
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments	(1,459)	1,089	(2,520)	(582)
Gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	37	139	187	706
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	(87)	(49)	(126)	(4,862)
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	1,338	581	2,997	1,628
Income before provision for income taxes	50,373	46,340	43,366	82,096
Income tax benefit (expense)	(18,827)	(19,003)	(16,045)	(33,366)
Net income	31,546	27,337	27,321	48,730
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(4,735)	(3,322)	(4,737)	(5,377)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	26,811	24,015	22,584	43,353
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(4,735)	(3,322)	(4,737)	(5,377)
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	25,326	23,746	21,223	43,127
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	(120)	(140)	(239)	(229)
Expenses:
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	(120)	(140)	(239)	(229)
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0		0	0
Management fee expense	(2,767)	(2,663)	(5,534)	(5,325)
Restructuring charges				0
Operating income	2,767	2,663	5,534	5,325
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt			0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	0
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries	(54,828)	(46,441)	(98,279)	(82,051)
Management fee income	(2,767)	(2,663)	(5,534)	(5,325)
Other, net	0	0	0	0
Income before provision for income taxes	(54,828)	(46,441)	(98,279)	(82,051)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Net income	(54,828)	(46,441)	(98,279)	(82,051)
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	(54,828)	(46,441)	(98,279)	(82,051)
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	(53,142)	(46,320)	(96,628)	(82,073)
Parent/Issuer [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [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	9,612	9,019	19,463	18,215
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0		0	0
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges				0
Operating income	(9,612)	(9,019)	(19,463)	(18,215)
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(45,883)	(35,522)	(91,230)	(65,280)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	8,134	7,416	16,705	17,110
Loss on extinguishment of debt			(34,110)
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments	(1,442)	1,097	(2,491)	(558)
Gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	37	139	187	315
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	(87)	(49)	(126)	(90)
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries	54,828	46,441	98,279	82,051
Management fee income	2,767	2,663	5,534	5,325
Other, net	675	(93)	1,619	307
Income before provision for income taxes	9,417	13,073	(25,096)	20,965
Income tax benefit (expense)	17,394	10,942	47,680	22,388
Net income	26,811	24,015	22,584	43,353
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	26,811	24,015	22,584	43,353
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	25,326	23,746	21,223	43,127
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	272,297	255,648	529,870	476,790
Expenses:
Cost of sales	186,907	168,614	362,661	305,358
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	18,411	18,943	36,437	37,216
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	102		1,687	2,350
Management fee expense	2,767	2,663	5,534	5,325
Restructuring charges				41
Operating income	64,110	65,428	123,551	126,500
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(802)	(843)	(1,670)	(1,802)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt			0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments	(17)	(8)	(29)	(24)
Gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	391
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	(4,772)
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	361	244	697	481
Income before provision for income taxes	63,652	64,821	122,549	120,774
Income tax benefit (expense)	(24,854)	(24,907)	(47,405)	(48,293)
Net income	38,798	39,914	75,144	72,481
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	38,798	39,914	75,144	72,481
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	37,112	39,793	73,493	72,503
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	199,812	182,765	357,566	342,512
Expenses:
Cost of sales	127,987	115,017	228,156	214,695
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	55,280	56,100	112,291	108,548
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0		0	0
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges				0
Operating income	16,545	11,648	17,119	19,269
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(6)	(4)	(12)	(7)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt			0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures	15,291	2,813	26,404	2,306
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	0
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	302	430	681	840
Income before provision for income taxes	32,132	14,887	44,192	22,408
Income tax benefit (expense)	(11,367)	(5,038)	(16,320)	(7,461)
Net income	20,765	9,849	27,872	14,947
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(4,735)	(3,322)	(4,737)	(5,377)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	16,030	6,527	23,135	9,570
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(4,735)	(3,322)	(4,737)	(5,377)
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	$ 16,030	$ 6,527	$ 23,135	$ 9,570