Accounting rate of ordinary expenses after taking affect of current expenses.

No definition available.

Name:	gld_AccountingRateOfOrdinaryExpensesAfterTakingAffectOfCurrentExpenses
Namespace Prefix:	gld_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Aggregate weight of gold used to determine appropriate custodian fee tier to use in calculating custodian fee.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gld_AggregateWeightOfGoldToDetermineCustodianFeeTiers
Namespace Prefix:	gld_
Data Type:	num:massItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Combined sponsor's and marketing agent's fees which can be waived to maintain the total expenses charged to the Trust at the expense ratio of the Trust.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gld_AmendedAgreementDescription
Namespace Prefix:	gld_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Discussion that relates to the approximate assets under management below which the ordinary expenses will accrue at a rate greater than the expense ratio.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gld_MaximumGrossValueOfTrustAssetsAfterTakingAffectOfCurrentExpenses
Namespace Prefix:	gld_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Discussion that relates to the approximate assets under management below which the ordinary expenses will accrue at a rate greater than the expense ratio.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gld_MinimumAccountingRateOfOrdinaryExpensesAfterTakingAffectOfCurrentExpenses
Namespace Prefix:	gld_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Minimum ANAV to unforeseen expenses.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gld_MinimumAnavToUnforeseenExpenses
Namespace Prefix:	gld_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Discussion that relates to the approximate assets under management below which the ordinary expenses will accrue at a rate greater than the expense ratio.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gld_OrdinaryExpensesOfTrust
Namespace Prefix:	gld_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Discussion that relates to the rate at which unforeseen expenses might accrue which would result in the expense ratio charged to the Trust being exceeded.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gld_PercentagePerYearReductionInCombinedFees
Namespace Prefix:	gld_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Proposed Ordinary Fee Maximum Percentage of NAV

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gld_ProposedOrdinaryFeeMaximumPercentageOfNav
Namespace Prefix:	gld_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The reduction in the Sponsor's and marketing agent's fees made to ensure that the total expenses charged to the Trust do not exceed the expense ratio of the Trust.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gld_ReductionInFeesPayable
Namespace Prefix:	gld_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Related party fees at the annual contractual rates charged on the daily adjusted net asset value of the Trust.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gld_RelatedPartyFeesPayableAtAnnualRate
Namespace Prefix:	gld_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Related party service fees.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gld_RelatedPartyServiceFees
Namespace Prefix:	gld_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=gld_SponsorMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=gld_TrusteeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=gld_CustodianTierOneMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=gld_CustodianTierTwoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=gld_MarketingAgentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=gld_SponsorAndMarketingAgentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Related Parties - Sponsor and Trustee - Additional Information (Detail)		9 Months Ended
	Jul. 17, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($) oz	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investor ordinary fees, percentage of NAV		0.40%
Sponsor [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party fees payable at annual rate		0.15%
Sponsor [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party fees payable at annual rate	0.40%
Trustee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party fees payable at annual rate		0.02%
Trustee [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party service fees		$ 500,000
Trustee [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party service fees		$ 2,000,000
Custodian Tier One [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party fees payable at annual rate		0.10%
Custodian Tier One [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Aggregate weight of gold to determine custodian fee tiers \| oz		4,500,000
Custodian Tier Two [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party fees payable at annual rate		0.06%
Custodian Tier Two [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Aggregate weight of gold to determine custodian fee tiers \| oz		4,500,000
Marketing Agent [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party fees payable at annual rate		0.15%
Sponsor and Marketing Agent [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Trust expense ratio		0.40%
Assets under management required for Trust accrual		$ 1,000,000,000
Accounting rate of ordinary expenses after taking affect of current expenses		0.40%
Sponsor and Marketing Agent combined fees at a rate		0.30%
Minimum ANAV to unforeseen expenses		0.70%
Ordinary expenses accrual rate if gross assets drop discussion		If at the end of any month, the estimated ordinary expenses of the Trust exceed an amount equal to 0.40% per year of the daily ANAV of the Trust for such month, the Sponsor and the Marketing Agent will waive the amount of such excess from the fees payable to them from the assets of the Trust for such month in equal shares up to the amount of their fees.
Unforeseen expenses of the Trust discussion		If the Trust incurs unforeseen expenses that cause the total of such ordinary expenses of the Trust to exceed 0.70% per year of the daily ANAV of the Trust those expenses will accrue at a rate greater than 0.40% per year of the daily ANAV of the Trust, even after the Sponsor and the Marketing Agent have completely waived their combined fees of 0.30% per year of the daily ANAV of the Trust.
Sponsor and Marketing Agent fees reduction		$ 2,047,695	$ 0