Shareholder Fees (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012
Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund | Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	$ 20
Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund | Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund - Admiral Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Target Retirement 2010 Fund | Vanguard Target Retirement 2010 Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Target Retirement 2015 Fund | Vanguard Target Retirement 2015 Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Target Retirement 2020 Fund | Vanguard Target Retirement 2020 Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Target Retirement 2025 Fund | Vanguard Target Retirement 2025 Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Target Retirement 2030 Fund | Vanguard Target Retirement 2030 Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 Fund | Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Target Retirement 2040 Fund | Vanguard Target Retirement 2040 Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Target Retirement 2045 Fund | Vanguard Target Retirement 2045 Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Target Retirement 2050 Fund | Vanguard Target Retirement 2050 Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Target Retirement 2055 Fund | Vanguard Target Retirement 2055 Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Target Retirement 2060 Fund | Vanguard Target Retirement 2060 Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund | Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	$ 20
Participant: | Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Redemption Fee Parenthetical	(on shares held less than one year)