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 is available from your financial advisor and under "Sales Charges" on page 215 of the fund’s prospectus and "Alternative Purchase Arrangements" on page 103 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 18% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

18.00%

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 (i) within 18 months on exchanges from a Virtus non-money market fund into a Virtus money market fund; and (ii) on 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.

Expense Example [Heading]

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Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

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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 and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. 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 provides global exposure to the real estate securities market, focusing exclusively on companies with a rental business profile. Rental companies derive 70% or more of total revenue from rental income and are most similar in business profile to U.S. real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).

Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S companies of any capitalization that are principally engaged in the real estate industry, including common stock, preferred stock and other equity securities issued by real estate companies, such as REITs and similar REIT-like entities. The fund, under normal market conditions, will hold at least 40% of its assets in non-U.S. issuers. Additionally, the fund normally invests in real estate-related securities of issuers in developed countries; however it may invest up to 20% of its assets in issuers incorporated in emerging market countries. The fund concentrates its assets in the real estate industry.

Strategy Portfolio Concentration [Text]

rr_StrategyPortfolioConcentration

The fund concentrates its assets in the real estate industry.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Risks

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

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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 subadviser expects. As a result, the value of your shares may decrease. Purchase and redemption activities by fund shareholders may impact the management of the fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective(s). The redemption by one or more large shareholders or groups of shareholders of their holdings in the fund could have an adverse impact on the remaining shareholders in the fund including by accelerating the realization of capital gains and increasing the fund's transaction costs. The principal risks of investing in the fund are:

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 Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Securities Risk. The risk that, in addition to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry, the value of the fund’s shares will be negatively affected by factors specific to investing through a pooled vehicle, such as through poor management of a REIT or REIT-like entity, concentration risk, or other risks typically associated with investing in small or medium market capitalization companies.

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 a particular style or in small or medium-sized companies may enhance that risk.

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 currency fluctuations or economic, political or other developments.

Geographic Concentration Risk. The risk that events negatively affecting the geographic location where the fund focuses its investments will cause the value of the fund’s shares to decrease, perhaps significantly.

Industry/Sector Concentration Risk. The risk that events negatively affecting real estate securities will cause the value of the fund’s shares to decrease, perhaps significantly. Since the fund concentrates its assets in real estate related securities, the fund is more vulnerable to conditions that negatively affect real estate related securities as compared to a fund that does not concentrate holdings in such securities.

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.

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.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

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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 the fund’s performance from year to year over the life of the fund. 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]

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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]

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Calendar year total returns for Class A Shares

Bar Chart Narrative [Text Block]

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Returns do not reflect sales charges and would be lower if they did.

Annual Return (%)

Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]

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Returns do not reflect sales charges and would be lower if they did.

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

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Best Quarter:

Q3/2010:

17.74%

Worst Quarter:

Q3/2011:

-16.99%

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended 12/31/13)

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]

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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 maybe 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

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Returns reflect deduction of maximum sales charges and full redemption at end of periods shown.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

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The S&P 500® Index is a free-float market capitalization-weighted index of 500 of the largest U.S. companies. The S&P 500® Index is calculated on a total return basis with dividends reinvested. The FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Rental Index is a free-float market capitalization index measuring global real estate securities, which meet minimum size, liquidity and investment focus criteria. The FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Index (net) 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 Real Estate Securities Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Trading Symbol

dei_TradingSymbol

VGSAX

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

0.85%

Distribution and Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.54%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.64%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

732

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,063

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,415

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,407

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01

732

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03

1,063

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05

1,415

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10

2,407

2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

23.08%

2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

0.50%

2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

23.40%

2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

1.08%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Best Quarter:

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2010

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

17.74%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Worst Quarter:

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2011

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(16.99%)

Label

rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel

Return Before Taxes

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(4.73%)

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

23.84%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 02, 2009

Virtus Global Real Estate Securities Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Trading Symbol

dei_TradingSymbol

VGSCX

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%

^[3]

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.85%

Distribution and Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

1.00%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.54%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.39%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

342

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

745

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,275

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,726

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01

242

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03

745

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05

1,275

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10

2,726

Label

rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel

Return Before Taxes

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.36%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

24.45%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 02, 2009

Virtus Global Real Estate Securities Fund | Class I

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Trading Symbol

dei_TradingSymbol

VGISX

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

0.85%

Distribution and Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.54%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.39%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

142

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

440

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

761

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

1,669

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01

142

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03

440

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05

761

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10

$ 1,669

Label

rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel

Return Before Taxes

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

1.36%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

25.71%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 02, 2009

Virtus Global Real Estate Securities Fund | S&P 500 ® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Label

rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel

S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

32.39%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

24.85%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 02, 2009

Virtus Global Real Estate Securities Fund | FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Rental ex-U.S. Index (net) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Label

rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel

FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Rental Index (net) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

2.13%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

25.78%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 02, 2009

Virtus Global Real Estate Securities Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Label

rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel

Return After Taxes on Distributions

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(5.44%)

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

21.71%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 02, 2009

Virtus Global Real Estate Securities Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Label

rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(2.44%)

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

18.83%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 02, 2009

[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 (i) within 18 months on exchanges from a Virtus non-money market fund into a Virtus money market fund; and (ii) on 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 deferred sales charge is imposed on Class C Shares redeemed during the first year only.