Parallel tunnels are generally constructed in urban subways to facilitate the movement of traffic in modern cities. Common solutions for predicting settlement induced by the excavation of two parallel tunnels are based on the single tunnel case and the simplified superposition method is utilized to generate the deformation profile without considering the interaction between the two tunnels. In this study, transparent soil model tests were performed to visualize the surface and subsurface settlement induced by the excavation of two parallel tunnels in sandy ground. Several key factors influencing the interaction of the parallel tunnels, as well as the surface and subsurface settlement, were investigated, including the spacing between the two tunnels, the volume of ground loss and the depth at which the tunnels were buried. Then the relationship between volume of the ground loss and the settlement was established. It is hoped that this study can provide guidelines for the design and construction of urban parallel tunnels excavations.