Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Statements of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 484,625	$ 459,104	$ 1,371,822	$ 1,278,177
Expenses:
Cost of sales	338,116	303,442	928,933	823,495
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	83,172	86,298	251,124	250,048
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	4,104	0	5,791	2,350
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges	0	0	0	41
Operating income	59,233	69,364	185,974	202,243
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(43,234)	(37,365)	(136,146)	(104,454)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	9,437	6,112	26,142	23,222
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0	(34,110)	0
Equity in (losses) earnings from real estate ventures	(47)	1,022	26,357	3,328
Equity in losses from investments	(303)	(1,526)	(2,823)	(2,108)
Gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	96	142	283	848
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	(53)	(54)	(179)	(4,916)
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	1,821	1,328	4,818	2,956
Income before provision for income taxes	26,950	39,023	70,316	121,119
Income tax benefit (expense)	(6,472)	(13,316)	(22,517)	(46,682)
Net income	20,478	25,707	47,799	74,437
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(1,214)	(2,532)	(5,951)	(7,909)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	19,264	23,175	41,848	66,528
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(1,214)	(2,532)	(5,951)	(7,909)
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	19,908	24,858	41,131	67,985
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	(119)	(129)	(358)	(358)
Expenses:
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	(119)	(129)	(358)	(358)
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0		0	0
Management fee expense	(2,767)	(2,662)	(8,301)	(7,987)
Restructuring charges				0
Operating income	2,767	2,662	8,301	7,987
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 (losses) earnings from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity in losses 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	(38,291)	(49,447)	(136,570)	(131,498)
Management fee income	(2,767)	(2,662)	(8,301)	(7,987)
Other, net	0	0	0	0
Income before provision for income taxes	(38,291)	(49,447)	(136,570)	(131,498)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Net income	(38,291)	(49,447)	(136,570)	(131,498)
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	(38,291)	(49,447)	(136,570)	(131,498)
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	(38,491)	(50,918)	(135,119)	(132,991)
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	8,431	8,726	27,894	26,941
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0		0	0
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges				0
Operating income	(8,431)	(8,726)	(27,894)	(26,941)
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(42,420)	(36,531)	(133,650)	(101,811)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	9,437	6,112	26,142	23,222
Loss on extinguishment of debt			(34,110)
Equity in (losses) earnings from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity in losses from investments	(296)	(1,485)	(2,787)	(2,043)
Gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	96	142	283	457
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	(53)	(54)	(179)	(144)
Equity in earnings in consolidated subsidiaries	38,291	49,447	136,570	131,498
Management fee income	2,767	2,662	8,301	7,987
Other, net	1,069	1,205	2,688	1,512
Income before provision for income taxes	460	12,772	(24,636)	33,737
Income tax benefit (expense)	18,804	10,403	66,484	32,791
Net income	19,264	23,175	41,848	66,528
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	19,264	23,175	41,848	66,528
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	19,908	24,858	41,131	67,985
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	293,884	274,297	823,754	751,087
Expenses:
Cost of sales	207,800	186,353	570,461	491,711
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	18,253	18,658	54,690	55,874
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	4,104		5,791	2,350
Management fee expense	2,767	2,662	8,301	7,987
Restructuring charges				41
Operating income	60,960	66,624	184,511	193,124
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(804)	(827)	(2,474)	(2,629)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt			0
Equity in (losses) earnings from real estate ventures	0	0	0	0
Equity in losses from investments	(7)	(41)	(36)	(65)
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	435	259	1,132	740
Income before provision for income taxes	60,584	66,015	183,133	186,789
Income tax benefit (expense)	(23,895)	(21,289)	(71,300)	(69,582)
Net income	36,689	44,726	111,833	117,207
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	36,689	44,726	111,833	117,207
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	36,889	46,197	110,382	118,700
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	190,860	184,936	548,426	527,448
Expenses:
Cost of sales	130,316	117,089	358,472	331,784
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	56,607	59,043	168,898	167,591
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0		0	0
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges				0
Operating income	3,937	8,804	21,056	28,073
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(10)	(7)	(22)	(14)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt			0
Equity in (losses) earnings from real estate ventures	(47)	1,022	26,357	3,328
Equity in losses 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	317	(136)	998	704
Income before provision for income taxes	4,197	9,683	48,389	32,091
Income tax benefit (expense)	(1,381)	(2,430)	(17,701)	(9,891)
Net income	2,816	7,253	30,688	22,200
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(1,214)	(2,532)	(5,951)	(7,909)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	1,602	4,721	24,737	14,291
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(1,214)	(2,532)	(5,951)	(7,909)
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	$ 1,602	$ 4,721	$ 24,737	$ 14,291