Revenue Recognition - New Accounting Pronouncement (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Jan. 01, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Impact of adoption of new accounting standard, increase to beginning retained earnings		$ 12,857					$ (8,838)
Current assets:
Accounts receivable - trade, net		33,995	$ 27,918		$ 27,918		29,481
Income taxes receivable, net			0		0		11,217
Other current assets		24,269	45,671		45,671		21,121
Total current assets		621,371	661,668		661,668		613,709
Other assets		40,526	52,076		52,076		36,786
Total assets		1,339,680	1,346,874		1,346,874		1,328,278
Current liabilities:
Income taxes payable, net			5,079		5,079		100
Other current liabilities		167,454	140,409		140,409		157,123
Total current liabilities		214,970	524,096		524,096		204,639
Deferred income taxes, net		53,584	51,587		51,587		58,801
Other liabilities		50,363	52,730		52,730		22,380
Total liabilities		1,693,135	1,819,324		1,819,324		1,660,038
Accumulated deficit		(428,565)	(541,202)		(541,202)		(414,785)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency		(427,699)	(544,830)		(544,830)		(413,919)
Non-controlling interest		74,244	72,380		72,380		82,159
Total stockholders' deficiency		(353,455)	(472,450)		(472,450)		(331,760)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency		$ 1,339,680	1,346,874		1,346,874		1,328,278
Revenues:
Total revenues			513,869	$ 484,625	1,424,323	$ 1,371,822
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales			360,302	338,116	987,343	928,933
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses			87,549	82,682	262,961	249,654
Operating income			66,018	59,723	175,963	187,444
Income before provision for income taxes			29,714	26,950	67,082	70,316
Income tax expense			14,686	6,472	29,394	22,517
Net income			15,028	20,478	37,688	47,799
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest			(3,026)	(1,214)	(657)	(5,951)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.			$ 12,002	$ 19,264	$ 37,031	$ 41,848
Per basic common share:
Net income applicable to common shares attributed to Vector Group Ltd. (in dollars per share)			$ 0.07	$ 0.13	$ 0.23	$ 0.27
Per diluted common share:
Net income applicable to common shares attributed to Vector Group Ltd. (in dollars per share)			$ 0.07	$ 0.13	$ 0.23	$ 0.27
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09
Per diluted common share:
Annual effective tax rate		35.49%
Deferred tax rate		27.26%
Tobacco
Revenues:
Total revenues	[1]		$ 302,009	$ 294,245	$ 843,958	$ 823,876
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales	[1]		219,769	207,800	597,492	570,461
Real estate
Revenues:
Total revenues			211,860	190,860	580,365	548,426
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales			140,533	130,316	389,851	358,472
Real estate | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09
Per diluted common share:
Relative ownership interest		70.59%
Relative ownership interest		29.41%
Real estate | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Real Estate Commercial Leasing
Current liabilities:
Other current liabilities		$ 3,139
Real estate | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Real Estate Development Marketing
Current liabilities:
Other current liabilities		4,667
Calculated under Revenue Guidance in Effect before Topic 606
Current assets:
Accounts receivable - trade, net			25,945		25,945
Other current assets			41,938		41,938
Total current assets			655,962		655,962
Other assets			47,808		47,808
Total assets			1,336,900		1,336,900
Current liabilities:
Income taxes payable, net			4,256		4,256
Other current liabilities			128,982		128,982
Total current liabilities			511,846		511,846
Deferred income taxes, net			57,162		57,162
Other liabilities			25,416		25,416
Total liabilities			1,785,335		1,785,335
Accumulated deficit			(525,647)		(525,647)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency			(529,275)		(529,275)
Non-controlling interest			80,840		80,840
Total stockholders' deficiency			(448,435)		(448,435)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency			1,336,900		1,336,900
Revenues:
Total revenues			511,344		1,430,310
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales			358,633		984,442
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses			89,933		269,994
Operating income			62,778		177,818
Income before provision for income taxes			26,474		68,937
Income tax expense			13,740		29,859
Net income			12,734		39,078
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest			(2,073)		(1,202)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.			$ 10,661		$ 37,876
Per basic common share:
Net income applicable to common shares attributed to Vector Group Ltd. (in dollars per share)			$ 0.06		$ 0.23
Per diluted common share:
Net income applicable to common shares attributed to Vector Group Ltd. (in dollars per share)			$ 0.05		$ 0.23
Calculated under Revenue Guidance in Effect before Topic 606 | Tobacco
Revenues:
Total revenues			$ 302,483		$ 845,116
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales			218,030		592,747
Calculated under Revenue Guidance in Effect before Topic 606 | Real estate
Revenues:
Total revenues			208,861		585,194
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales			140,603		391,695
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09
Current assets:
Accounts receivable - trade, net			1,973		1,973
Other current assets			3,733		3,733
Total current assets			5,706		5,706
Other assets			4,268		4,268
Total assets			9,974		9,974
Current liabilities:
Income taxes payable, net			823		823
Other current liabilities			11,427		11,427
Total current liabilities			12,250		12,250
Deferred income taxes, net			(5,575)		(5,575)
Other liabilities			27,314		27,314
Total liabilities			33,989		33,989
Accumulated deficit			(15,555)		(15,555)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency			(15,555)		(15,555)
Non-controlling interest			(8,460)		(8,460)
Total stockholders' deficiency			(24,015)		(24,015)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency			9,974		9,974
Revenues:
Total revenues			2,525		(5,987)
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales			1,669		2,901
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses			(2,384)		(7,033)
Operating income			3,240		(1,855)
Income before provision for income taxes			3,240		(1,855)
Income tax expense			946		(465)
Net income			2,294		(1,390)
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest			(953)		545
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.			1,341		(845)
Per diluted common share:
Revenue recognized for performance obligations satisfied			8,428		14,697
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Real Estate Commercial Leasing
Current liabilities:
Other current liabilities			(1,295)		(1,295)
Revenues:
Total revenues					3,973
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales					(1,844)
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Real Estate Development Marketing
Revenues:
Total revenues			5,454		15,551
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales					2,547
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses					419
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Incentive Payments [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues			574		1,594
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Tobacco Shipping and Handling Costs
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales			1,639		4,309
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Tobacco Sales Returns
Current liabilities:
Other current liabilities			2,089		2,089
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales			100		436
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Previously Deferred Contract Costs
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales					998
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Real Estate Commercial Leasing Commissions
Revenues:
Total revenues					(2,541)
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales					2,448
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 | Tobacco | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09
Current assets:
Accounts receivable - trade, net		0
Other current assets		2,525
Total current assets		2,525
Other assets		0
Total assets		2,525
Current liabilities:
Other current liabilities		2,525
Total current liabilities		2,525
Deferred income taxes, net		0
Other liabilities		0
Total liabilities		2,525
Accumulated deficit		0
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency		0
Non-controlling interest		0
Total stockholders' deficiency		0
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency		2,525
Revenues:
Total revenues			(474)		(1,158)
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales			1,739		4,745
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 | Real estate | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09
Current assets:
Accounts receivable - trade, net		4,514
Other current assets		623
Total current assets		5,137
Other assets		3,740
Total assets		8,877
Current liabilities:
Other current liabilities		7,806
Total current liabilities		7,806
Deferred income taxes, net		(5,217)
Other liabilities		27,983
Total liabilities		30,572
Accumulated deficit		(13,780)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency		(13,780)
Non-controlling interest		(7,915)
Total stockholders' deficiency		(21,695)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency		8,877
Revenues:
Total revenues			2,999		(4,829)
Cost of sales:
Total cost of sales			(70)		(1,844)
As Previously Reported
Cost of sales:
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses				83,172		251,124
Operating income				59,233		185,974
Income before provision for income taxes				$ 26,950		$ 70,316
As Previously Reported | Calculated under Revenue Guidance in Effect before Topic 606
Current assets:
Accounts receivable - trade, net							29,481
Other current assets							21,121
Total current assets							613,709
Other assets							36,786
Total assets							1,328,278
Current liabilities:
Other current liabilities							157,123
Total current liabilities							204,639
Deferred income taxes, net							58,801
Other liabilities							22,380
Total liabilities							1,660,038
Accumulated deficit							(414,785)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency							(413,919)
Non-controlling interest							82,159
Total stockholders' deficiency							(331,760)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency							1,328,278
Accumulated Deficit
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Impact of adoption of new accounting standard, increase to beginning retained earnings		(1,094)
Current liabilities:
Total stockholders' deficiency			$ (541,202)		(541,202)		$ (414,785)
Cost of sales:
Net income					$ 37,031
Accumulated Deficit | Real estate | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Impact of adoption of new accounting standard, increase to beginning retained earnings		$ 21,695

[1] Revenues and cost of sales include federal excise taxes of $130,428, $126,912, $359,199 and $351,474, respectively.