Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statements of Operations (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 406,613	$ 256,226	$ 753,849	$ 502,395
Expenses:
Cost of sales	279,282	186,445	518,319	363,622
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	67,023	25,541	132,500	51,437
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Operating income	60,308	44,240	103,030	87,336
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(44,183)	(32,086)	(79,636)	(65,462)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	1,970	2,450	320	5,499
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion	(439)	0	(4,118)	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0	0	(21,458)
Equity (loss) income from non-consolidated real estate businesses	(1,808)	6,804	(256)	7,285
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments	(273)	846	633	823
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	(18)	(197)	(71)	5,209
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	3,575	1,471	5,701	2,280
Income before provision for income taxes	19,132	23,528	25,603	21,512
Income tax benefit (expense)	(6,101)	(10,017)	(9,043)	(9,682)
Net income	13,031	13,511	16,560	11,830
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(5,106)	0	(6,055)	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	7,925	13,511	10,505	11,830
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(5,106)	0	(6,055)	0
Comprehensive income	14,542	14,633	23,379	18,866
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	9,436	14,633	17,324	18,866
Parent/Issuer [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	4,933	5,506	11,216	11,382
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Operating income	(4,933)	(5,506)	(11,216)	(11,382)
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(43,190)	(31,723)	(77,972)	(64,683)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	1,970	2,450	320	5,499
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion	(439)		(4,118)
Loss on extinguishment of debt				(21,458)
Equity (loss) income from non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0	0	0
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments	(273)	846	633	823
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	(18)	(197)	(71)	(197)
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	32,408	32,277	60,126	63,565
Management fee income	2,468	2,377	4,935	4,754
Other, net	1,068	1,245	1,766	1,947
Income before provision for income taxes	(10,939)	1,769	(25,597)	(21,132)
Income tax benefit (expense)	18,864	11,742	36,102	32,962
Net income	7,925	13,511	10,505	11,830
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0		0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	7,925		10,505
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0		0
Comprehensive income		14,633		18,866
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	9,436		17,324
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	253,125	249,120	492,317	489,522
Expenses:
Cost of sales	181,517	180,430	353,230	353,386
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	22,190	18,455	45,375	36,949
Management fee expense	2,468	2,377	4,935	4,754
Operating income	46,950	47,858	88,777	94,433
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(1,284)	(360)	(2,239)	(772)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion	0		0
Loss on extinguishment of debt				0
Equity (loss) income from non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0	0	0
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments	0	0	0	0
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	5,406
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	224	150	484	205
Income before provision for income taxes	45,890	47,648	87,022	99,272
Income tax benefit (expense)	(19,716)	(19,134)	(36,355)	(39,791)
Net income	26,174	28,514	50,667	59,481
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0		0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	26,174		50,667
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0		0
Comprehensive income		27,179		61,624
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	25,464		50,659
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	153,488	7,106	261,532	12,873
Expenses:
Cost of sales	97,765	6,015	165,089	10,236
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	39,900	1,580	75,909	3,106
Management fee expense	0	0	0	0
Operating income	15,823	(489)	20,534	(469)
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(3)	(3)	(37)	(7)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion	0		0
Loss on extinguishment of debt				0
Equity (loss) income from non-consolidated real estate businesses	(1,808)	6,804	(256)	7,285
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments	0	0	0	0
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Management fee income	0	0	0	0
Other, net	2,577	76	4,063	128
Income before provision for income taxes	16,589	6,388	24,304	6,937
Income tax benefit (expense)	(5,249)	(2,625)	(8,790)	(2,853)
Net income	11,340	3,763	15,514	4,084
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(5,106)		(6,055)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	6,234		9,459
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(5,106)		(6,055)
Comprehensive income		3,763		4,084
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	6,234		9,459
Consolidating Adjustments [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	0	0	0	0
Management fee expense	(2,468)	(2,377)	(4,935)	(4,754)
Operating income	2,468	2,377	4,935	4,754
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	294	0	612	0
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion	0		0
Loss on extinguishment of debt				0
Equity (loss) income from non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0	0	0
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments	0	0	0	0
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0	0	0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	(32,408)	(32,277)	(60,126)	(63,565)
Management fee income	(2,468)	(2,377)	(4,935)	(4,754)
Other, net	(294)	0	(612)	0
Income before provision for income taxes	(32,408)	(32,277)	(60,126)	(63,565)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Net income	(32,408)	(32,277)	(60,126)	(63,565)
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0		0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	(32,408)		(60,126)
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0		0
Comprehensive income		(30,942)		(65,708)
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	$ (31,698)		$ (60,118)