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Label Element Value
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Document Type dei_DocumentType 485BPOS
Document Period End Date dei_DocumentPeriodEndDate Sep. 30, 2016
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName VIRTUS OPPORTUNITIES TRUST
Central Index Key dei_EntityCentralIndexKey 0001005020
Amendment Flag dei_AmendmentFlag false
Trading Symbol dei_TradingSymbol VOT
Document Creation Date dei_DocumentCreationDate Jan. 20, 2017
Document Effective Date dei_DocumentEffectiveDate Jan. 30, 2017
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Jan. 30, 2017
Virtus Tax-Exempt Bond Fund  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading
Virtus Tax-Exempt Bond Fund
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading
Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock
The fund has an investment objective of providing a high level of current income that is exempt from federal income tax.
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 219 of the fund’s prospectus and “Alternative Purchase Arrangements” on page 110 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)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination January 31, 2018
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 period, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 9% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 9.00%
Expenses Deferred Charges [Text Block] rr_ExpensesDeferredChargesTextBlock
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
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, that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same and that the expense reimbursement arrangement remains in place for the contractual period. 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 seeks to generate current income exempt from federal income taxes by investing in a diversified portfolio with municipal bonds of varying maturities. The management team focuses on higher quality tax-exempt municipal bonds, gauging the value of a security by issue type, credit quality, and bond structure; however, the fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in below investment grade tax-exempt municipal bonds. Below investment grade tax-exempt municipal bonds are considered high-yield/high-risk fixed income securities (so-called "junk bonds").

Under normal circumstances, as a matter of fundamental policy, the fund invests at least 80% of its assets in municipal bonds, the income from which is exempt from federal income taxes. The portion of the fund’s assets not invested in tax-exempt securities may be invested in taxable fixed income securities. Income from these taxable investments may be subject to federal, state, and local taxes.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading
Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

The fund may not achieve its objective(s), 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 or specific municipalities 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:

>     Call Risk.  The risk that issuers will prepay fixed rate obligations when interest rates fall, forcing the fund to reinvest in obligations with lower interest rates than the original obligations and otherwise not benefit fully from the increase in value that other fixed income securities experience when interest rates decline.

>     Credit Risk.   The risk that the issuer of a security will fail to pay interest or principal in a timely manner, or that negative perceptions of the issuer's ability to make such payments will cause the price of the security to decline.

>     High-Yield/High-Risk Fixed Income Securities (Junk Bonds) Risk.  The risk that the issuers of high-yield/​high-risk securities in the fund's portfolio will default, that the prices of such securities will be volatile, and that the securities will not be liquid.

>     Income Risk.  The risk that income received from the fund will vary widely over the short- and/or long-term and/or be less than anticipated if the proceeds from maturing securities in the fund are reinvested in lower-yielding securities.

>     Interest Rate Risk.  The risk that when interest rates rise, the values of the fund's debt securities, especially those with longer maturities, will fall.

>     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 issuers and/or general economic conditions. Price changes may be temporary or may last for extended periods.

>     Municipal Bond Market Risk.  The risk that events negatively impacting a particular municipal security, or the municipal bond market in general, will cause the value of the fund's shares to decrease, perhaps significantly.

>     Tax-Exempt Securities  The risk that tax-exempt securities may not provide a higher after-tax return than taxable securities, or that the tax-exempt status of such securities may be lost or limited.

>     Tax Liability Risk.  The risk that noncompliant conduct by a municipal bond issuer, or certain adverse interpretations or actions by a government or tax authority, could cause interest from a security to become taxable, possibly retroactively, subjecting shareholders to increased tax liability.
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] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading
Performance Information
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock
The Virtus Tax-Exempt Bond Fund, a series of Virtus Opportunities Trust (“Successor Fund”), is the successor of the Virtus Tax-Exempt Bond Fund, a series of Virtus Insight Trust (“Predecessor Fund”), resulting from a reorganization of the Predecessor Fund with and into the Successor Fund on September 23, 2016. The Predecessor Fund and the Successor Fund have identical investment objectives and strategies. The Successor Fund has adopted the past performance of the Predecessor Fund as its own. Therefore, the performance tables below include the performance of the shares of the Predecessor Fund prior to the Virtus Tax-Exempt Bond Fund’s commencement date.
 
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 from year to year over a 10-year period. 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 from year to year over a 10-year period. 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 I Shares
Bar Chart Narrative [Text Block] rr_BarChartNarrativeTextBlock
Returns do not reflect sales charges applicable to other share classes 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 applicable to other share classes and would be lower if they did.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock
​ ​
Best Quarter:
 ​ ​
Q3/2009:
 ​ ​
10.03%
 ​ ​
Worst Quarter:
 ​ ​
Q3/2008:
 ​ ​
-5.64%
 ​ ​
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading
Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended 12/31/16; includes returns of a predecessor fund)
Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads
Returns reflect deduction of maximum sales charges and full redemption at end of periods shown.
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 I 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 Tax-Exempt Bond Linked Benchmark consists of the BofA Merrill Lynch 1-22 Year US Municipal Securities Index, a subset of the BofA Merrill Lynch US Municipal Securities Index including all securities with a remaining term to final maturity less than 22 years, calculated on a total return basis. Performance of the Tax-Exempt Bond Linked Benchmark prior to 6/30/2012 is that of the Barclays U.S. Municipal Bond Index. The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index measures the U.S. investment grade fixed rate bond market. The indexes are calculated on a total return basis. 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 I 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 Tax-Exempt Bond Fund | Class A  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Trading Symbol dei_TradingSymbol HXBZX
Maximum Sales Charge (load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice 2.75%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther none
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.45%
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.31%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.01%
Less: Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.16%) [1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.85% [1]
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 359
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 572
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 802
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,463
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 359
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 572
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 802
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 $ 1,463
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Return Before Taxes
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (3.15%)
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.11%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.73%
Virtus Tax-Exempt Bond Fund | Class C  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Trading Symbol dei_TradingSymbol PXCZX
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% [2]
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.45%
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 1.00%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.31%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.76%
Less: Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.16%) [1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.60% [1]
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 263
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 539
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 939
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 2,060
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 163
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 539
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 939
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 $ 2,060
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Return Before Taxes
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (1.15%)
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 1.91%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.24%
Virtus Tax-Exempt Bond Fund | Class I  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Trading Symbol dei_TradingSymbol HXBIX
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 0.45%
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.31%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.76%
Less: Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.16%) [1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.60% [1]
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 61
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 227
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 407
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 927
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 61
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 227
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 407
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 $ 927
2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 3.45%
2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (5.62%)
2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 18.26%
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 2.39%
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 11.36%
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 7.72%
2013 rr_AnnualReturn2013 (3.33%)
2014 rr_AnnualReturn2014 8.30%
2015 rr_AnnualReturn2015 2.64%
2016 rr_AnnualReturn2016 (0.16%)
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel
Best Quarter:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 10.03%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel
Worst Quarter:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (5.64%)
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Return Before Taxes
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.16%)
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.94%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 4.29%
Virtus Tax-Exempt Bond Fund | After Taxes on Distributions | Class I  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Return After Taxes on Distributions
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.21%)
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.92%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 4.26%
Virtus Tax-Exempt Bond Fund | After Taxes on Distributions and Sales | Class I  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 1.16%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.95%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 4.15%
Virtus Tax-Exempt Bond Fund | Tax-Exempt Bond Linked Benchmark  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text] rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Tax-Exempt Bond Linked Benchmark (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 0.24%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.04%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 4.13%
Virtus Tax-Exempt Bond Fund | Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text] rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 2.65%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.23%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 4.35%
[1] The fund's investment adviser has contractually agreed to limit the fund's total operating expenses (excluding certain expenses, including dividend and interest expenses, leverage expenses, taxes, brokerage commissions, extraordinary expenses and acquired fund fees and expenses, if any) so that such expenses do not exceed 0.85% for Class A Shares, 1.60% for Class C Shares and 0.60% for Class I Shares through January 31, 2018. Following the contractual period, the adviser may discontinue these expense reimbursement arrangements at any time. Under certain conditions, the adviser may recapture operating expenses reimbursed under these arrangements for a period of three years following the time such reimbursement occurred.
[2] The deferred sales charge is imposed on Class C Shares redeemed during the first year only.