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Label Element Value
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName VIRTUS OPPORTUNITIES TRUST
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Jan. 31, 2013
Virtus Global Commodities Stock Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading Virtus Global Commodities Stock Fund
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock The fund has an investment objective of capital appreciation.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock The tables below illustrate all fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Virtus Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and under “Sales Charges” on page 193 of the fund’s prospectus and “Alternative Purchase Arrangements” on page 57 of the fund’s statement of additional information.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 96% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 96.00%
Expenses Deferred Charges [Text Block] rr_ExpensesDeferredChargesTextBlock Generally, Class A Shares are not subject to any charges by the Fund when redeemed; however, a contingent deferred sales charge may be imposed on certain redemptions within 18 months on exchanges from a Virtus non-money market fund into a Virtus money market fund and purchases on which a finder’s fee has been paid. The 18-month period begins on the last day of the month preceding the month in which the purchase was made. The deferred sales charge is imposed on Class C Shares redeemed during the first year only.
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text] rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Virtus Mutual Funds.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount] rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount 50,000
Expenses Restated to Reflect Current [Text] rr_ExpensesRestatedToReflectCurrent Restated to reflect current expenses.
Expenses Not Correlated to Ratio Due to Acquired Fund Fees [Text] rr_ExpensesNotCorrelatedToRatioDueToAcquiredFundFees The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expense to average net assets appearing in the Financial Highlights tables, which tables reflect only the operating expenses of the fund and do not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated. It shows your costs if you sold your shares at the end of the period or continued to hold them. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Investments, Risks and Performance

Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock The fund offers investors exposure to commodities-related investments in markets located throughout the world, including emerging market countries. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests globally at least 80% of its assets in stocks of companies principally engaged in the base metals, precious metals, energy, and agriculture group of industries. The fund will concentrate its investments in this commodities-related group of industries. The fund is a non-diversified portfolio and will consist primarily of common and preferred stocks, but may contain commodity-related exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and commodities-linked notes. The fund will primarily hold securities of companies listed on global securities exchanges or quoted on established over-the-counter markets, or American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). The fund typically invests in the securities of medium to large capitalization companies, but it is not limited to investing in the securities of companies of any particular size.

Under normal circumstances, the fund will hold at least 40% of its assets in non-U.S issuers and ETFs and/or commodities-linked notes providing exposure to non-U.S markets. The fund intends to diversify its investments among countries and normally have represented in the portfolio business activities of a number of different countries. In determining the “location” of an issuer, the subadviser primarily relies on the country where the issuer is incorporated. However, the country of risk is ultimately determined based on analysis of the following criteria: actual building address (domicile), primary exchange on which the security is traded and country in which the greatest percentage of company revenue is generated. This evaluation is conducted so as to determine that the issuer’s assets are exposed to the economic fortunes and risks of the designated country.
Strategy Portfolio Concentration [Text] rr_StrategyPortfolioConcentration Under normal circumstances, the fund invests globally at least 80% of its assets in stocks of companies principally engaged in the base metals, precious metals, energy, and agriculture group of industries. The fund will concentrate its investments in this commodities-related group of industries.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock The fund may not achieve its objective, and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. The value of the fund’s investments that supports your share value may decrease. If between the time you purchase shares and the time you sell shares the value of the fund’s investments decreases, you will lose money. Investment values can decrease for a number of reasons. Conditions affecting the overall economy, specific industries or companies in which the fund invests can be worse than expected, and investments may fail to perform as the adviser expects. As a result, the value of your shares may decrease. The principal risks of investing in the fund are:
  • Commodities Concentration Risk. The risk that events negatively affecting the base metals, precious metals, energy and agriculture industries in which the fund focuses its investments will cause the value of the fund’s shares to decrease, perhaps significantly. Since the fund concentrates its assets in commodities-related investments, the fund is more vulnerable to conditions that negatively affect commodities-related companies and investments as compared to a fund that is not significantly invested in such companies.
  • Commodity and Commodity-Linked Instrument Risk. The risk that investments in commodities or commodity-linked notes will subject the fund’s portfolio to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, or that commodity-linked instruments will experience returns different from the commodities they attempt to track.
  • Emerging Market Investing Risk. The risk that prices of emerging markets securities will be more volatile, or will be more greatly affected by negative conditions, than those of their counterparts in more established foreign markets.
  • Equity Securities Risk. The risk that events negatively affecting issuers, industries or financial markets in which the fund invests will impact the value of the stocks held by the fund and thus, the value of the fund’s shares over short or extended periods. Investments in small and medium-sized companies may be more volatile than investments in larger companies.
  • Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) Risk. The risk that the value of an ETF will be more volatile than the underlying portfolio of securities the ETF is designed to track, or that the costs to the fund of owning shares of the ETF will exceed those the fund would incur by investing in such securities directly.
  • Foreign Investing Risk. The risk that the prices of foreign securities in the fund’s portfolio will be more volatile than those of domestic securities, or will be negatively affected by economic, political or other developments.
  • Market Volatility Risk. The risk that the value of the securities in which the fund invests may go up or down in response to the prospects of individual companies and/or general economic conditions. Price changes may be temporary or may last for extended periods.
  • Non-Diversification Risk. The risk that the fund will be more susceptible to factors negatively impacting the securities in its portfolio to the extent that each such security represents a significant portion of the fund’s assets.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney If between the time you purchase shares and the time you sell shares the value of the fund’s investments decreases, you will lose money.
Risk Nondiversified Status [Text] rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus
  • Non-Diversification Risk. The risk that the fund will be more susceptible to factors negatively impacting the securities in its portfolio to the extent that each such security represents a significant portion of the fund’s assets.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance Information
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the fund. The fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future.

The bar chart shows changes in the fund’s performance for its first full year of operations. The table shows how the fund’s average annual returns compare to those of a broad-based securities market index and a more narrowly-based benchmark that reflects the market sectors in which the fund invests. Updated performance information is available at virtus.com or by calling 800-243-1574.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The bar chart shows changes in the fund’s performance for its first full year of operations. The table shows how the fund’s average annual returns compare to those of a broad-based securities market index and a more narrowly-based benchmark that reflects the market sectors in which the fund invests.
Performance Availability Phone [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone 800-243-1574
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress virtus.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Calendar year total returns for Class A Shares
Bar Chart Narrative [Text Block] rr_BarChartNarrativeTextBlock Returns do not reflect sales charges and would be lower if they did.

Annual Return (%)
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text] rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads Returns do not reflect sales charges and would be lower if they did.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

 

     
Best Quarter:    Q3/2012:    13.70%    Worst Quarter:     Q2/2012:    -7.98%
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended 12/31/12)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold fund shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text] rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown After-tax returns are shown only for Class A Shares; after-tax returns for other classes will vary.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher In certain cases, the Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be higher than other return figures for the same period. This will occur when a capital loss is realized upon the sale of fund shares and provides an assumed tax benefit that increases the return.
Performance Table Narrative rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock Returns reflect deduction of maximum sales charges and full redemption at end of periods shown.
Performance Table Closing [Text Block] rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock The S&P 500® Index is a free-float market capitalization-weighted index of 500 of the largest U.S. companies. The index is calculated on a total return basis with dividends reinvested. The MSCI AC World Commodity Producer Sector Capped Index (net) is a market capitalization weighted index that measures performance of developed and emerging market commodity producers within the energy, metals and agricultural sectors. Each of the three sectors are equally weighted within the index. The index is calculated on a total return basis with net dividends reinvested. The indexes are unmanaged and not available for direct investment.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown only for Class A Shares; after-tax returns for other classes will vary. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold fund shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. In certain cases, the Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be higher than other return figures for the same period. This will occur when a capital loss is realized upon the sale of fund shares and provides an assumed tax benefit that increases the return.
Virtus Global Commodities Stock Fund | Class A
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Sales Charge (load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice 5.75%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther 1.00% [1]
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 1.00%
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.58% [2]
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets 0.05% [3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.88% [2]
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 755
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 1,132
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 1,533
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 2,649
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 755
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 1,132
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 1,533
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 2,649
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 6.81%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2012
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 13.70%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Jun. 30, 2012
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (7.98%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 0.67%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception (5.35%)
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Mar. 15, 2011
Virtus Global Commodities Stock Fund | Class C
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Sales Charge (load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther 1.00% [4]
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 1.00%
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 1.00%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.58% [2]
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets 0.05% [3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 2.63% [2]
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 366
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 817
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 1,395
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 2,964
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 266
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 817
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 1,395
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 2,964
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 5.97%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception (2.90%)
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Mar. 15, 2011
Virtus Global Commodities Stock Fund | Class I
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Sales Charge (load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther none
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 1.00%
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.58% [2]
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets 0.05% [3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.63% [2]
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 166
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 514
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 887
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,933
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 166
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 514
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 887
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 1,933
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 7.09%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception (1.92%)
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Mar. 15, 2011
Virtus Global Commodities Stock Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | Class A
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (1.13%)
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception (6.29%)
Virtus Global Commodities Stock Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | Class A
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.74%)
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception (5.31%)
Virtus Global Commodities Stock Fund | S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 16.00%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 8.45%
Virtus Global Commodities Stock Fund | MSCI AC World Commodities Producers Sector Capped Index (net)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 6.84%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception (4.87%)
[1] Generally, Class A Shares are not subject to any charges by the Fund when redeemed; however, a contingent deferred sales charge may be imposed on certain redemptions within 18 months on exchanges from a Virtus non-money market fund into a Virtus money market fund and purchases on which a finder's fee has been paid. The 18-month period begins on the last day of the month preceding the month in which the purchase was made.
[2] Restated to reflect current expenses.
[3] The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expense to average net assets appearing in the Financial Highlights tables, which tables reflect only the operating expenses of the fund and do not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
[4] The deferred sales charge is imposed on Class C Shares redeemed during the first year only.