Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 380,800	$ 360,760
Expenses:
Cost of sales	236,422	242,018
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	79,828	74,181
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	2,350	843
Management fee expense	0	0
Restructuring charges	41	0
Operating income	62,159	43,718
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(30,720)	(31,746)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	9,694	6,460
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	(507)	338
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments	(1,671)	612
Gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	567	13,029
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	(4,813)	0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Management fee income	0	0
Other, net	1,047	1,937
Income before provision for income taxes	35,756	34,348
Income tax benefit (expense)	(14,363)	(12,867)
Net income	21,393	21,481
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(2,055)	(260)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	19,338	21,221
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(2,055)	(260)
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	19,381	26,203
Parent/Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	0	0
Expenses:
Cost of sales	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	9,196	7,194
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0	0
Management fee expense	0	0
Restructuring charges	0
Operating income	(9,196)	(7,194)
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(29,758)	(30,754)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	9,694	6,460
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments	(1,655)	604
Gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	176	(146)
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	(41)
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	35,610	35,994
Management fee income	2,662	2,562
Other, net	400	1,065
Income before provision for income taxes	7,892	8,591
Income tax benefit (expense)	11,446	12,625
Net income	19,338	21,216
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	19,338	21,216
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	19,381	27,592
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	221,142	228,623
Expenses:
Cost of sales	136,744	157,660
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	18,273	21,337
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	2,350	843
Management fee expense	2,662	2,562
Restructuring charges	41
Operating income	61,072	46,221
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(959)	(991)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments	(16)	8
Gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	391	13,175
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	(4,772)
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Management fee income	0	0
Other, net	237	320
Income before provision for income taxes	55,953	58,733
Income tax benefit (expense)	(23,386)	(24,184)
Net income	32,567	34,549
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	32,567	34,549
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	32,710	32,267
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	159,747	132,256
Expenses:
Cost of sales	99,678	84,358
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	52,448	45,769
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0	0
Management fee expense	0	0
Restructuring charges	0
Operating income	7,621	2,129
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	(3)	(1)
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	(507)	338
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments	0	0
Gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Management fee income	0	0
Other, net	410	552
Income before provision for income taxes	7,521	3,018
Income tax benefit (expense)	(2,423)	(1,308)
Net income	5,098	1,710
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	(2,055)	(260)
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	3,043	1,450
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	(2,055)	(260)
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	3,043	1,450
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	(89)	(119)
Expenses:
Cost of sales	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses	(89)	(119)
Litigation settlement and judgment expense	0	0
Management fee expense	(2,662)	(2,562)
Restructuring charges	0
Operating income	2,662	2,562
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense	0	0
Change in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings from investments	0	0
Gain on sale of investment securities available for sale	0	0
Impairment of investment securities available for sale	0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries	(35,610)	(35,994)
Management fee income	(2,662)	(2,562)
Other, net	0	0
Income before provision for income taxes	(35,610)	(35,994)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0
Net income	(35,610)	(35,994)
Net income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	(35,610)	(35,994)
Comprehensive income attributed to non-controlling interest	0	0
Comprehensive income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	$ (35,753)	$ (35,106)